It is a definition I have learned from a course called “Existential Well-Being” on edX, and would recommend it to everyone.

1. PHILOSOPHY
Authenticity Means: Being Aware of
Your Limitations
Lorenz Duremdes, Polymath
Nov 17 · 3 min read

2. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
I want to present a simple and logical definition of authenticity:
“Authenticity means being aware of your limitations and/or acting in
accordance.”
It is a definition I have learned from a course called “Existential Well-Being”
on edX, and would recommend it to everyone.
The questions further presented in this article are based on that definition.
When are you being authentic?
If we follow the definition given in this article, we can easily imagine how
someone giving false promises is not being authentic:
1. That person is not being aware of his limitations;
2. Even if he is aware of his limitations, he is not acting in accordance.
See how simple this definition is?

3. Not being aware of your limitations yet acting in
accordance to your limitations = not being
authentic?
I am truly a believer of “Action is power, not knowledge” and “Deeds, not
words”.
This, then, is the reason why I added and made “and/or” bold.
I don’t know, for example, whether I am able to learn how to fly a plane, but
I will definitely not exaggerate and overestimate myself, and say things like
“I am going to be able to fly a plane within a month”.
I am, however, going to say things like “I am probably capable of learning
how to fly a plane, but I am not 100% sure”. This way, I don’t know the
things exactly, but I can definitely try to be as authentic as possible in both
thoughts and deeds.
Why not the other way around i.e. being aware of your limitations yet not
acting in accordance = inauthentic? Refer back to the example of the
person “giving false promises”.
So the answer to the question “Not being aware of your limitations yet acting
in accordance to your limitations = not being authentic?” should be “False”.

4. I, however, do think you are being “fully” authentic when you are both
aware as well as acting in accordance to your limitations. That you are
acting in accordance to your limitations without being aware of them might
as well be “random” luck.
What about lying?
If I say “You are ugly” yet I think and feel you are beautiful, am I being
authentic or not? Let’s ask ourselves the following questions first:
1. Am I aware of my limitations? And what do I consider my limitations?
2. Am I acting in accordance to these limitations?
So it really depends on what my purpose or goal is. If I want to be truthful,
then I am not being authentic. If I want to hurt others, I guess from my
perspective, I am. It’s relativistic:
10/28/2019 — Relativism As a First Principle
And why drugs isn’t inherently good or bad
medium.com

5. I hope you liked this definition of being authentic. Let me know below what
you think of it!
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See this to see why I write:
https://lorenzduremdes.wordpress.com/2019/10/08/introd…
mailchi.mp
. . .
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