Authenticity II.

Finding oneself is never easy.

As a proposal for healthy attitudes towards one's own uniqueness, being faithful and consistent with oneself is essential. Within the limits of respecting others' rights and the demands of circumstances, one should be and present oneself as they truly are.

- Be yourself and try to be happy, but above all, be yourself.

This fidelity and coherence are only possible through the pursuit of intimate and sincere self-knowledge.

- Know yourself and be who you are.

- Whatever you decide to do in life, make sure it is a projection of your true essence.

Achieving this self-discovery is generally difficult.

- No journey is longer and harder, although it may seem short and easy, than the one dedicated to finding oneself.

- Nothing is closer and harder to see than oneself.

- How much work it takes to find oneself! (José Martí)

And many times, it is reached after painful existential crises.

- Sometimes you have to break to know what you have inside.

- Sometimes you have to be lost to start finding yourself.

But once achieved, it is an important element for success because it ensures dedication to cherished goals, allows better endurance of the struggles to achieve them, and gives the final product the creator's personal mark, making it unique and valuable.

- What makes you unique will make you successful.

- If you want to be someone truly special, be yourself.

- If you paint what is in your heart, you could hang it in an art gallery.

More importantly, it is the foundation for achieving fulfillment and true happiness.

- To enjoy inner peace, you must find yourself.

- Be yourself if you want to be happy.

However, authenticity has limits; it involves taking responsibility for who you are and your actions, which requires respecting others when exercising your right to be different.

- Fidelity to oneself without responsibility is not authenticity but a disorder.

- Your rights end where others' begin.

- Do not do to others what you would not like others to do to you.

The truly authentic person also takes responsibility for their self-improvement and tirelessly seeks to become the best version of themselves based on who they truly are.

- Knowing oneself is the foundation of personal growth.

It is very useful to remember that to be authentic, one must overcome the many resistances and barriers that always exist against those who are different from the majority.

Inappropriate attitudes towards these resistances include constantly worrying about what others will say and seeking others' approval, which can lead to pretending to be someone you are not or living very differently from what you truly desire and are, preventing you from living fully and being truly happy.

- Constantly worrying about what others will say is a thief of freedom and opportunities.

This is complicated when trying to please all opinions, due to the large number and often contradictions among them.

- You can't please everyone.

- It is impossible to please everyone.

- If you want to please everyone, you cannot be yourself, and if you are yourself, you cannot please everyone.

At the other extreme is not considering or despising others' opinions and conventions, which can lead to unnecessarily disrespecting the norms of the place you are in and can generate violent reactions from others.

- Courtesy is a psychic boomerang.

Healthy attitudes include considering and respecting others' opinions as a right each individual has, but acting firmly according to one's own views on what is just or due, which sometimes goes against the majority opinion and requires resisting pressure.

- To have principles, have courage.

- Do what you must and fear no one.

- If a gentleman looks inside himself and is sure he has acted rightly, what should he fear or worry about? (Confucius)

- When you do something convinced it is your duty to do it, do not hide no matter how unfavorable the judgment people form of you and your actions may be. If the action is bad, do not do it. If it is good, why fear those who unjustly condemn you? (Epictetus)

- If you walk upright, there is no crooked shadow.

- Decide to act with righteousness. (Job: 11,13)

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Finding oneself is often difficult and sometimes achieved after painful existential crises. However, once achieved, it is fundamental for success, as it ensures dedication to cherished goals and better endures the challenges of life, making the final result unique and valuable. Authenticity involves taking responsibility for who you are and your actions, respecting others in the exercise of your right to be different. True authenticity also entails the responsibility of seeking the best version of oneself and overcoming the resistances and barriers that always exist against those who are different from the majority.

Inappropriate attitudes towards these resistances include constantly worrying about others' approval, which prevents living fully and being happy. It is also problematic to try to please everyone, as this hinders being oneself. On the other extreme, completely disregarding others' opinions and norms can generate very negative reactions.

Healthy attitudes include considering and respecting others' opinions as a right, acting firmly according to one's own convictions about what is just. It is important to have the courage to uphold one's principles and act righteously, without fearing others' opinions if convinced of acting correctly.

Related Entries: Authenticity I.

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Authenticity II by Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández (Rapula).

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