Authenticity
one
What does it mean to be authentic?
We talk a lot about the importance of being real, being sincere, being true to ourselves, being genuine – being authentic
But what does that actually mean?
Put it differently – what does it mean to be fake?
This is the opposite of being authentic – and nobody likes a fake, a phony.
But it’s one thing to know that you don’t want to be a fake – and it’s quite another thing to know what exactly that means.
What is our standard, then, for living an authentic vs. an inauthentic life?
two
Feelings can’t be our criterion for what counts as authentic and what doesn’t
It might be tempting to think that authenticity is based on our feelings – that an authentic person is someone who isn’t inhibited, who acts spontaneously, and doesn’t hesitate to trust their instincts and go with their impulses.
But that can’t be right. Our instincts aren’t always trustworthy and following our spontaneous impulses can be disastrous.
You might have a very spontaneous impulse to make an obscene gesture to a driver who cuts you off
You might have a very spontaneous feeling of attraction to a woman who isn’t your wife
And you might desperately want to share a piece of gossip you just heard.
But these are impulses that should be rejected, not followed.
In other words, our feelings and spontaneous emotions aren’t the standard for what it means to be an authentic human being, but vice versa.
But in that case what is the standard for authenticity?
three
Authentic: when a thing is as it should be
We use the word “authentic” or “genuine” to say that something fulfills the definition of what it’s supposed to be and would be recognized as such by the relevant authority.
A genuine dollar – as opposed to a counterfeit bill – meets the definition of a dollar as legal tender
It’s what the US Government would recognize as a dollar
A genuine diamond – as opposed to a fake – is what a diamond is supposed to be.
It’s what a jeweler would recognize as a real diamond.
So what’s a genuine human being?
A genuine human being is what a human being is supposed to be – someone who fulfills the purpose and the design specifications of a human being.
In other words, it’s someone who would meet God’s standard
Someone whom the Lord Himself would say, as He said of Nathaniel, “A true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.” In other words, “This guy’s the real deal.”
four
Hypocrisy – a Counterfeit human being
Obviously, the opposite of a genuine person is a fake person
A fake, a counterfeit, is something that pretends to be what it isn’t.
That means a fake person is someone who isn’t legit, isn’t what they should be, but pretends to be
This is a hypocrite
It’s someone who doesn’t fulfill the design specifications of being human, but continues to say, “I’m fine with where I am.”
So it’s important to note that a hypocrite can be either a liberal or a conservative; it can be either a religious person or an irreligious person.
It’s someone who says, or thinks, “I’m okay,” when they aren’t. It’s someone who says, “I’m a good person,” or “I’m a good Catholic,” when he’s still riddled with vice.
A counterfeit/fake is content to be a second-rate copy, an imitation of what a human being is supposed to be.
So the way to avoid hypocrisy is very simple – don’t stop trying to grow in virtue and holiness
That’s the only way you’ll be able to be genuine, authentic. To meet the standard of a real human being.
five
Don’t let fear of hypocrisy prevent you from striving to live a fuller Christian life
Oddly, some people – when they recognize their own inauthenticity, their own mediocre fakeness – decide that in order to not be a hypocrite, they’re going to abandon their faith, their ideals, their standards of excellence.
They say things like, “I don’t want to be a hypocrite, so I’m not going to go to Church any more, or pretend to love my wife and kids, or worry about praying.”
That’s crazy! That’s going from bad to worse, from less inauthentic to more inauthentic.
A hypocrite is someone who only pretends to live up to certain values – but the solution to hypocrisy isn’t abandoning your values; it’s striving to be more faithful to them.
Being true to yourself, being sincere and genuine means that you
Acknowledge that you’re a sinner, and that you fall short of the ultimate standard of authenticity, who is Jesus Himself
But it also means that you don’t stop trying to better approximate that standard.
That’s the only way we become who we are, who we were meant to be.
That’s the only way we can ever hope to be true to ourselves.