Authenticity is Dead
When I was a kid, one of the lessons that was ingrained in me was to be an individual and not follow the crowd. My parents taught me to think for myself and not do things just because others are doing or saying something.
I took this to heart as I grew up. I did things that weren't considered cool but were things that I thought were interesting or fun. At 10 years old I rode equestrian because I was interested in it and
when I got into high school I distinctly remember wearing my clothes backwards because I enjoyed listening to Kriss Kross. There was also a period of time time I wore over-sized sweatpants with one leg rolled up because of the movie Sunset Park. None of these things were trendy but I liked them so I did them anyways.
I don't tell you these things to prove how cool I was back in the day because clearly I was 😂😂 but to highlight that individuality was something that throughout my life I've celebrated.
This lesson is something I've passed on to my own children. I give the same message to them and allow them the opportunity to express their individuality and authenticity. Lately though I've noticed a trend and it's a bit concerning. When did authenticity become discouraged? When did it die?
We as a society joke about things such as being a "basic white girl" or a "fat dad bod" but in reality these things have become a sad standard of what many people choose to be. People follow these trends and conform to what everyone else is doing without giving it a second thought. When did following the mainstream trends be the "right" way of living your life? When did this shift happen?
Many people preach a message of accepting everyone and being inclusive of all people. Then if someone displays a thought, behavior or lifestyle that doesn't fit a mainstream narrative, they are shunned because they aren't like everyone else. When did acceptance mean that you have to walk, talk, act and dress like everyone else or you're a piece of shit? That doesn't seem to fit with this whole acceptance narrative.
In a scene from the movie Fight Club, Edward Norton's character is standing at a photocopier while it runs over and over again. He makes the comment that things are "a copy of a copy of a copy." This is in fact what has happened to society. People have become a copy of a copy of a copy.
Have you ever noticed that your boss and your bosses boss all talk and dress the same? Or that when you go on Instagram that all the influencers take the exact same pictures, just with different outfits or backgrounds like "oh hey here's my ass, it's the same one from the last picture but this time I'm wearing red." Does no one have an authentic idea anymore? Are we so complacent and lazy that we'd rather blindly follow some trend than actually express who we are?
I've come to the conclusion that most people are afraid to express themselves due to fear. Fear of being ridiculed, fear of not being accepted and fear of offending someone else. This I believe is a problem. This fear only drives more complacency, kills your spirit and at the most extreme end leads to mental illness. All these things are not good for the individual or society. From an individual perspective, the psychological implications of being a clone are numerous. People aren't created to all be alike and equal in every way. It is psychologically unhealthy to try and fit in with every trend that has been deemed as acceptable. It comes at the expense of your individuality. It in essence, chips away at you until there is nothing left of your authentic spirit.
On a larger scale the societal impact of following the crowd and attempting to always fit in has a huge negative implication. A society that all thinks, acts and speaks alike is an easily controlled society. Typically this control is granted to people in power. These people will use this influence to manipulate the masses into doing as they see fit but may not be of benefit to the people themselves. I don't know about you but I'd rather not give others more power over my life than is absolutely necessary.
So here's the thing folks. We need to wake up. Authenticity and individuality should be celebrated above compliance. I think most of us could take a few moments and evaluate whether what we are doing and saying in our lives is in alignment with our beliefs and our authentic selves, or if we're only parroting a narrative that has been deemed socially acceptable. I think we owe it to ourselves to begin to realize that despite our many differences, at the core we have so much in common. So please, begin to live authentic. Express who you truly are and not what you think society thinks you should be. I guarantee you'll be better off for it.
Footnote:
1) I mentioned above how cool I was and clearly I was not but I did it anyways and didn't give a shit.
2) If being a "basic white girl" or "fat dad bod" is you living your authentic self than by all means do you thing.
I took this to heart as I grew up. I did things that weren't considered cool but were things that I thought were interesting or fun. At 10 years old I rode equestrian because I was interested in it and
when I got into high school I distinctly remember wearing my clothes backwards because I enjoyed listening to Kriss Kross. There was also a period of time time I wore over-sized sweatpants with one leg rolled up because of the movie Sunset Park. None of these things were trendy but I liked them so I did them anyways.
This lesson is something I've passed on to my own children. I give the same message to them and allow them the opportunity to express their individuality and authenticity. Lately though I've noticed a trend and it's a bit concerning. When did authenticity become discouraged? When did it die?
We as a society joke about things such as being a "basic white girl" or a "fat dad bod" but in reality these things have become a sad standard of what many people choose to be. People follow these trends and conform to what everyone else is doing without giving it a second thought. When did following the mainstream trends be the "right" way of living your life? When did this shift happen?
Many people preach a message of accepting everyone and being inclusive of all people. Then if someone displays a thought, behavior or lifestyle that doesn't fit a mainstream narrative, they are shunned because they aren't like everyone else. When did acceptance mean that you have to walk, talk, act and dress like everyone else or you're a piece of shit? That doesn't seem to fit with this whole acceptance narrative.
In a scene from the movie Fight Club, Edward Norton's character is standing at a photocopier while it runs over and over again. He makes the comment that things are "a copy of a copy of a copy." This is in fact what has happened to society. People have become a copy of a copy of a copy.
Have you ever noticed that your boss and your bosses boss all talk and dress the same? Or that when you go on Instagram that all the influencers take the exact same pictures, just with different outfits or backgrounds like "oh hey here's my ass, it's the same one from the last picture but this time I'm wearing red." Does no one have an authentic idea anymore? Are we so complacent and lazy that we'd rather blindly follow some trend than actually express who we are?
I've come to the conclusion that most people are afraid to express themselves due to fear. Fear of being ridiculed, fear of not being accepted and fear of offending someone else. This I believe is a problem. This fear only drives more complacency, kills your spirit and at the most extreme end leads to mental illness. All these things are not good for the individual or society. From an individual perspective, the psychological implications of being a clone are numerous. People aren't created to all be alike and equal in every way. It is psychologically unhealthy to try and fit in with every trend that has been deemed as acceptable. It comes at the expense of your individuality. It in essence, chips away at you until there is nothing left of your authentic spirit.
On a larger scale the societal impact of following the crowd and attempting to always fit in has a huge negative implication. A society that all thinks, acts and speaks alike is an easily controlled society. Typically this control is granted to people in power. These people will use this influence to manipulate the masses into doing as they see fit but may not be of benefit to the people themselves. I don't know about you but I'd rather not give others more power over my life than is absolutely necessary.
So here's the thing folks. We need to wake up. Authenticity and individuality should be celebrated above compliance. I think most of us could take a few moments and evaluate whether what we are doing and saying in our lives is in alignment with our beliefs and our authentic selves, or if we're only parroting a narrative that has been deemed socially acceptable. I think we owe it to ourselves to begin to realize that despite our many differences, at the core we have so much in common. So please, begin to live authentic. Express who you truly are and not what you think society thinks you should be. I guarantee you'll be better off for it.
Footnote:
1) I mentioned above how cool I was and clearly I was not but I did it anyways and didn't give a shit.
2) If being a "basic white girl" or "fat dad bod" is you living your authentic self than by all means do you thing.
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