Authenticity is lacking in today’s culture. The overwhelming amount of social media content with people blowing up their feeds with inauthenticity for clicks and attention has created a toxic culture. Many young people buy into that culture as a result and feed into this trend. Being inauthentic is a very unattractive trait as people can use their intuition to see right through you. When you are true to yourself, not everyone will like you, but they will at least respect the fact that you are true to who you are. There are a few great examples of individuals we can use to illustrate this in mainstream culture. From the authenticity certain individuals give off, you will also find a following of people that are loyal and have respect for that brand of authenticity.
Why trying to please everyone never works
Many people try hard to please everyone they come in contact with due to the fear of being disliked. They change who they are to please others, at least superficially, and this results in a fake and loathsome life. Those who go this route often find that they lose themselves trying to make others happy. They begin to resent those around them and themselves. The lie that this is the best way to live in modern culture is something that is seeping deeper and deeper into the mainstream.
The big lie of authenticity
Mainstream culture has turned “authenticity” into a vehicle to pedal a narrative into soceity. For example, there is a lie that is seeping deeper and deeper into society that is as divisive as it is ludicrous. The powers that be have reframed the idea of womanhood and manhood as some sort of costume that anyone can put on at any given point whenever they feel like it. This trend has been used to garner attention and seek out acceptance as being a victim-class member of society. The word authentic is thrown around a lot in this space. This twisting of the word misconstrues what it is to be authentic in the first place. Authenticity has been replaced with attention-seeking and acceptance, even if its acceptance by force. Being an authentic individual means embracing who you are, not trying to change it completely. It means to be yourself without giving into the pressure of society around you or to bow down to what’s in and what isn’t regardless of who accepts you and who doesn’t. This is a big lie that leads to one fate, misery and dissatisfaction.
Modern examples of an authentic brand
There are a few public figures out there that embrace the premise of authenticity to the highest degree. These people understand and accept who they are, never putting on a front for anyone. Because of their authenticity, they are able to attract the right people around them in order to be as successful as possible. Not everyone likes them and that is just fine. Not everyone is going to like your authentic self and just as these examples understand and embrace that fact, so too should you.
1. Donald Trump
Donald Trump is perhaps one of the most polarizing people in American history. There are people out there that vehemently hate him, and others who stand by his side no matter what. This is because he is always true to who he is. You’ll always know exactly what is on his mind and what his intentions are. He doesn’t play the political game of flip flopping on issues to pander to specific voting demographics. He’s authentic to himself, his values, and his opinions. In the 2016 presidential race, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton due to his authenticity. He was fresh blood at the time for politics. He didn’t fold under any sort of questioning, always gave an authentic answer, and overall came across as true to himself. On the contrary, Clinton tried hard to pander to as many minority voting demographics as she could, never coming off as authentic to any group she tried to sway in her direction. Her disingenuous behavior ultimately led to the victory of Donald Trump. Although you may not like Trump’s personality or disagree with him on some things politically, you can’t deny that he is as authentic as they come. That authenticity has garnered him vast criticism, but has also directly correlated with every sort of success he’s had in his life, namely the 2016 Presidential Election.
2. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the richest and one of the most powerful men on the face of the planet. He is wildly successful in many different business ventures, namely Tesla, and his authenticity is at least in part to thank for that. Elon is never afraid to share his opinions and views with the general public, no matter what criticism he may face. Recently, Musk acquired Twitter and took it private. His passion for free speech in America led to his overpayment for the company so that he could allow for free speech to once again be a value of Twitter as a now private company. Although Musk had never voted for a Republican in his entire life up until 2022, he is true to his authentic self rather than blindly aligning himself with a particular political affiliation. He is true to his values through thick and thin never compromising for the sake of acceptance from others. His authentic brand has attracted other great leaders and talent to his side, and together, they have built some of the greatest and most successful companies the world has ever seen.
3 Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is the biggest podcaster in the world right now. Why is this you may ask? It is because he is authentic and that attracts people to continue to listen to his podcasts religiously. He isn’t afraid to have people on from all different sorts of backgrounds with varying beliefs and have an open and honest discussion with his guests about what they believe and why. Curiosity is Joe’s greatest quality and that curiosity shines through every time he puts out a new podcast. His conversations are very raw and unfiltered. You really get a feel for who Joe is when you listen to him interview his guests. The most attractive quality of his content is that nothing ever feels scripted. He often puts out 3 plus hours of unscripted content per podcast with genuine and free flowing conversation about any and all things. This is the brand he has created for himself and this is the reason why so many people listen to him on a regular basis.
Stay true to yourself
No matter what happens in your life, stay true to yourself and who you are. Never compromise your values or morals to try and appeal to anyone else. When you are authentic, you will attract the right people around you. The universe has a way of matching us with the people who share similar energy. Never compromise who you are and you will continue to be the best version of yourself!