Authenticity, what is it, really? pt. 1

What does it mean to be authentic? Can authenticity change or is it static? How do we know? The modern Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines authentic as:

1. a. Worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming or based on fact. (paints and authentic picture of our society) b. Conforming to an orignal so s to reproduce essential features. (an authentic reproduction of a colonial farmhouse) c. Made or done the same way as an original. (authentic Mexican fare)

2. Not false or imitation: Real, Actual. (an authentic cockney accent)

3. True to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. (is sincere and authentic with no pretensions)

My trauma-informed and neurodivergent friendly eyes see quite a conundrum here. Read those meanings again and see if you can see what I see…

Authentic is both imitating something to the extent that it LOOKS real and being what something is.

I think this becomes a real issue because so many of us have been made to be authentic replicas of something that we are not.

Going back to meaning #1, there is no disputing that an “authentic replica” of a colonial farmhouse is NOT an “original” colonial farmhouse. And oftentimes therein lies great difficulty for those of us that have experienced significant early childhood trauma (specifically gaslighting/brainwashing/adult projection onto us) as well as those with neurodivergence, whose neurodivergence was not accepted. This extends also to households whose creed, religion, or philosophy was the only acceptable way of being and did not make room for originality or difference of thought.

Individuals experiencing such extremes in life have learned to “mask”. They have learned that they MUST become the authentic replica of “normal” people in order to survive and thrive in this place we call life.

I plan to talk more about this topic, but for today, I want to hear from you. Does this post resonate with you? How have you felt that you must become a replica of something other than your genuine self? Please know that I monitor comments and work hard to create a safe space to share. If you feel safe sharing your experiences, please do so in the comments section.