The further I get in my existence on this earth, the more I realize the lack of authenticity in society as well as people's willingness to blindly further this materialistic way of life. It is such an interesting idea that humans are judged by the society they grew up in, as if any one society has the ability to arbitrarily define normality for the rest of the world. People are so willing to compromise their own deeply held beliefs (even if they are fundamentally incorrect) to fit in with a man-made concept of what is and is not appropriate. The more we allow ourselves as a species to be completely defined by other humans, the more we lose the connection with ourselves that we were made to maintain. It is a firm belief of mine that the only predilection that humans should collectively nurture is our innate ability to be different, unique, and authentic. Human beings, in a search for identity and belonging, generate and maintain false senses of truth and happiness that prevent individuals from achieving complete personal authenticity, which is the biggest aspect of this existence.
When we live in a society that values a simplistic version of normality that automatically excludes others, we lose an aspect of this human experience that is meant to join us all together. If we allow the suppression of our own or someone else's individuality, we are denying a characteristic of humanity that is meant to ensure prosperity and promote the peaceful coexistence of all humans.
In order to differentiate between what is authentic in yourself and what is merely a societal programming that you are encouraged to maintain, you must first understand that authenticity is incredibly subjective and unquantifiable. To assume that authenticity is definite enough to sufficiently develop a structured standard of living is to assert that humans are created without any form of idiosyncrasy.
This belief in a generic human existence not only contributes to the degradation of society by forcing people to conform to a man-made ideology, it also leads to the explicit and hypocritical prevention of any type of liberation from this overbearing, baseless system. I confine this belief to being hypocritical because any type of system or practice that is maintained by humans but deliberately or indirectly subdues the uniqueness of those very humans is antithetical to the natural idiosyncratic predisposition in which every human being is placed. If you are participating in a social, political, or even religious system that prevents you from being authentic, you are essentially smothering your own individuality. When you allow others to prevent your individuality, you place their desires above your own well-being, which is equally as irresponsible as trying to take away someone else's authenticity.
"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."
-- Carl Jung
People view the idea of authenticity being subjective as a dangerous philosophy that would allow for many people to fall into a rather self-destructive or outwardly poisonous lifestyle. Being authentic is not defined by anyone else other than yourself. Realize that the only things that lead to the degradation of a person by another person are nothing more than societal programmings that teach people to place their own well-beings high above those of other people. To assume that one person's authenticity will interfere with another's is to believe that humans cannot or are not meant to peacefully and prosperously share this existence. If you think that your "authentic self" is one that actively or passively destroys or prevents someone else from reaching their own authenticity, you are essentially perpetuating the long-established societal idea that encourages the ignorance of another's well-being for your own momentary, superficial happiness.
None of this is to say that you cannot find pieces of yourself in different aspects of this physical world. If you deeply identify with a tradition or norm, it would be illogical to deny yourself that identity. It is, however, irresponsible to allow yourself to be confined to one man-made belief. Doing so is to allow another human to completely define your existence, and this is simply contradictory to the ability that humans have to be unique. To assume that life can only be fulfilled by unconsciously following man-made structures is to assume that humans are not capable of making their own paths in life.
We are meant to embrace authenticity, and to recognize that that means something different for everyone. The moment we ignore the call to authenticity that we all have is the moment we sacrifice reality for an unrealistic and simplistic escape from this world in which we were made to create, think, and live uniquely and individually. If every human on earth were to live an authentic life, the world would not have room for the perpetuation of damaging societal norms. Find what makes you authentically yourself and use that to love this world and the people in it, for you are only given one physical life on this earth. A life lived in superficiality and fear of rejection is a life defined by fickle human beliefs that contradict this existence. Embody authenticity, and you will surely make an impact on this brief existence.
