"We often think of "being authentic" as sticking to our "true self," a consistent identity that never wavers. Pop culture constantly reinforces the mantra: "Just be yourself. Don't change for others." We see it in social media ads, career advice, and endless self-help books. But is this really how authenticity works, like an on/off switch? In reality, our identities are constantly shifting."
"Oscar Wilde once wrote, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." This paradox challenges the idea that authenticity always comes from stripping away layers of societal-enforced falsehood. Sometimes, it actually emerges through the very masks or roles that we adopt, consciously or not, as we navigate through life. In other words, being authentic can mean holding various (sometimes opposing) pieces together in a way that feels coherent 3."
Authenticity is commonly imagined as a stable "true self" that never changes, reinforced by cultural messages like "Just be yourself." Identities, however, are fluid and shift after events such as heartbreak, career changes, political debates, or relocation. For some people identity shifts signal growth and adaptability; for others they provoke self-doubt about continuity of self. Masks and social roles can reveal truths rather than hide them, allowing seemingly opposing aspects to coexist coherently. Psychological perspectives treat authenticity as a dynamic process rather than a fixed trait, implicating flexibility and role-taking in subjective experiences of being oneself.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]