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Along Life’s Way
Being Authentic
By Lois E. Wilson
In today’s world it is difficult to find people, especially in the area
of physical appearance, who strive to be authentic. This limerick of
mine shows a problem vanity might cause:
DOUBLE-DEALING
There was a "two-faced" woman named Grace
Who thought her sagging skin was quite base.
With her personality rift,
At the scheduled surgical lift,
Two doctors were required for her case.
Being two-faced can be a description of an insincere or insecure person
who acts a certain way in one situation—but a completely different way
in another. In other words, it is an example of hypocrisy.
You often find it in politics. A candidate or official may have an
opinion in public which they passionately claim to endorse, but in real
life or daily activities they exhibit the opposite. Yes, they say to
defund the police—but they may live in crime-free or gated communities.
Homer observed: “I detest that man who hides one thing in the depths of
his heart, and speaks forth another. ”Andre Gide wrote: “The true
hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deceptions, the one who
lies with sincerity.”
Most of us decry the attribute of hypocrisy. We search and strive to
find authentic friends. Seldom do we ask ourselves if we are ever
hypocritical.
At times, we may yield to the pressure of the moment; when a friend
asks us, “How do I look in this dress?” Do we always give a truthful
answer? We think—if I tell her how she really looks in it—I risk losing
a friend.
At work, are you always 100% frank in your opinions—or do you temper
them to avoid creating a bad response and hurting your career?
Nietzsche proposed: “The hypocrite who always plays one and the same
part ceases at last to be a hypocrite.” He has created a worse
reproduction of himself.
Aesop wrote: “Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing.”
Even if the risk is being hissed at—you should still strive to be
authentic. Your opinion has value if it’s from the heart and depth of
your being.
Then if someone ever asks you, “Are you for real? You truthfully can answer, “You bet your life, I am!”
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