Why it’s Hard to Be Authentic
The connectedness of society.
Good morning everyone,
Authenticity, or living your true self regardless of the pressure from society, family, and friends, can be one of the scariest things to do today.
Caring about what others think about you is healthy in moderation and serves its purpose in society.
But caring what others think turns into a problem when you start letting others influence decisions that don’t align with your individual beliefs and values.
Have you ever had someone in a group project that knew that everyone else would pull their weight for them and didn’t contribute? It’s a prevalent issue that stretches farther back than you might think.
The purpose of caring about what others think is rooted in early human civilization when working together as a community was at the height of its importance.
If people weren’t performing their obligatory duties for the rest of the community, the community would ostracize or exclude that person from all social aspects. And since we care what others think about us, the shunned are more likely to fall back in line to return to the community.
However, modern times aren’t like the old. Because of social media, we now can give and take criticism from anyone in the world at any moment.
We can see instantly see the exact number of people that support us at any given time, which can become quite addicting. Quite possibly, over time, we conform our thoughts and actions to only be those that the masses will like, not who we truly are.
But, most of the people who comment harsh and critical things are complete strangers. Would you invite that same stranger into the safety of your house? Most likely not, so why would you let them into your head? The most guarded place of all.
The globalization of media has its perks. For example, if you feel the primary group you are in right now isn’t accepting you. Nothing stops you from leaving and finding another group that will accept you for who you are.
The same thing (social media) that can make us less of who we are can also help us bring back our authentic selves. It all depends on how you use it.
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Being authentic in today’s world is more complicated and confusing than it ever has been before. Whatever you do, don’t let someone make a decision for you. Stick to what you value
As always, have a great day, and remember to live in the moment.