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To me it means that you should act in a way that more authentically represents your wants and your values. For example, if someone wants to impress someone els

To me it means that you should act in a way that more authentically represents your wants and your values. For example, if someone wants to impress someone else, they may act in a way they think is in line with that someone else's wants and values. This can result in awkward and embarrassing situations since it's not natural or well-practiced, and it can result in being deceitful. Instead it's better to acknowledge and be sensitive toward what that someone else wants and values, but to still behave in a way that is true to our own wants and values.

wwweston 8y ago
Then you're back to the question of what it means to be authentic or have true values, a question that's very similar to the question of what it means to be "yourself", and while there's usually implied guides regarding extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, it's not really clear to me that there's an absolute dividing line there, or that it's even easy to sort out decidedly intrinsic/internal values into authentic or not authentic. I both want to play video games for hours and focus on applications of Richards Curves. I want to exercise and not exercise. I want to meet people and take care of social relationships, and have lots of time to myself. Which desires are more authentic? If one desire transcends a mere want and becomes a value, how would we distinguish that? And then, how would we distill that into meaningful advice? Probably not effectively with the words "be yourself."
- defertoreptar 8y ago
  > Probably not effectively with the words "be yourself." Agreed. It's an easy platitude to give, which is probably why it's so common. > it's not really clear to me that there's an absolute dividing line there, or that it's even easy to sort out decidedly intrinsic/internal values into authentic or not authentic. Right, it's nebulous and a good subject for philosophy textbooks. As far as practical advice goes, I think it's not too much to say that you can draw the line when you're behaving in a way that feels unnatural in hopes that others will respond positively to it.
- nostrademons 8y ago
  Which do you choose, and which choice leaves you happier afterwards? Authenticity means being able to look back at our choices afterwards and say "Yes, I'm proud of what I did." "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -- Albus Dumbledore

wwweston 8y ago

Then you're back to the question of what it means to be authentic or have true values, a question that's very similar to the question of what it means to be "yourself", and while there's usually implied guides regarding extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, it's not really clear to me that there's an absolute dividing line there, or that it's even easy to sort out decidedly intrinsic/internal values into authentic or not authentic. I both want to play video games for hours and focus on applications of Richards Curves. I want to exercise and not exercise. I want to meet people and take care of social relationships, and have lots of time to myself. Which desires are more authentic? If one desire transcends a mere want and becomes a value, how would we distinguish that? And then, how would we distill that into meaningful advice? Probably not effectively with the words "be yourself."

defertoreptar 8y ago
> Probably not effectively with the words "be yourself." Agreed. It's an easy platitude to give, which is probably why it's so common. > it's not really clear to me that there's an absolute dividing line there, or that it's even easy to sort out decidedly intrinsic/internal values into authentic or not authentic. Right, it's nebulous and a good subject for philosophy textbooks. As far as practical advice goes, I think it's not too much to say that you can draw the line when you're behaving in a way that feels unnatural in hopes that others will respond positively to it.
nostrademons 8y ago
Which do you choose, and which choice leaves you happier afterwards? Authenticity means being able to look back at our choices afterwards and say "Yes, I'm proud of what I did." "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -- Albus Dumbledore