Elizabeth King: The Problem With Authenticity
Posted on 26. May, 2009 by lollydaskal in Blog
Part 4 of 4 Why does pursuing authenticity ultimately matter? ….the authentic process may call for a little privacy, and sometimes privacy calls for discretion, which, you may have noticed, we tend to confuse with being inauthentic. Instead of rallying for others’ authenticity, perhaps we should be supporting and encouraging each other in our quest to be better people. Perhaps it makes more sense to be kind to each other and to promote virtue. Perhaps an ethical, merciful culture and a willingness to begin with and quietly work on ourselves is the best path to authenticity and happiness. Ultimately, the desire for an authentic experience is the desire for an experience grounded in truth and reality; and, if you want grounding in truth and reality, your daily life will become an evolutionary process of rooting out falsehoods, both the lies you’ve been told (about who you are, the way you do things, the type of person you are) and the lies we’re all telling each other thinking we make things easier. Being brave enough to seek out authenticity—the truth—functionally calls us to battle for abundance in our lives. We learn to fight for what is good and right, we find joy in learning the freedom of giving without expecting in return, we bear others’ burdens as though they are our own—when we’re living authentically we’re finally freed to love deeply. Rooting out authenticity lets us know each other and ourselves and live fruitfully: after all, the truth shall set us free. By Elizabeth King Elizabeth will be exploring the issue in depth in a four part series. Follow Elizabeth King on twitter. elizabethonline A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Elizabeth holds an interdisciplinary major that incorporates Economics, Mathematics, Art History, and Studio Art. Elizabeth began preparing students for the SAT with in Boca Raton, Florida. Since then she has taught students in conjunction with some of the country’s most prestigious education firms, including Judi Robinovitz Associates/Score at the Top, Arete Education, IvyWise, and EBL Coaching. Elizabeth is the author of Outsmarting the SAT, a collection of the strategies and teaching tactics she uses every day to help students maximize their scores on the SAT. Known for her enthusiastic and direct teaching style, Elizabeth has successfully led students to score gains of well over 100 points on every section of the SAT and has helped others progress from the 50th to 95th percentile on the ACT. Additionally, she has prepared sample Writing section questions for a major test prep company’s international materials, written and taught a customized 9th grade home school curriculum, and has served as a proctor/facilitator for several online high school students. Elizabeth is also a candidate in the UCLA Extension’s Certificate in College Counseling program and has helped students develop essays and applications that have been accepted at the nation’s most prestigious schools. Elizabeth has appeared in several regional theater productions and has been a member of several Manhattan vocal studios for years. She was also a proud recipient of a Mount Holyoke College Class of 1905 Alumnae Fellowship and a Mount Holyoke College Bardwell Fellowship.3 Responses to “Elizabeth King: The Problem With Authenticity”
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Celes Davar
08. Jun, 2009
Enjoyed this piece. I am a practitioner in experiential tourism in Canada. Our focus is to craft travel experiences that are meaningful and transformational. We do this by going away from the formula of traditional travel and tourism. We do this by crafting different ways of delivering experiences, in which the heart of the experiences are local people (artists, craftspeople, musicians, story-tellers, chefs, golf course superintendents, farm producers).
Local people offer authenticity, that sense of “I just do what I do, and if you would like to be part of this, I welcome you.” Many travelers today are looking for alternatives to packaged or formula or mass travel. They seek the antidote to Disney, which in my view is the opportunity for an experience in which the opportunity to experience local art, culture, nature, cuisine, or well-being is paramount.
I think that Pine & Gilmore got it wrong in their book on Authenticity. They argue for something in which they tried to convert authenticity into something of monetary value, instead of recognizing authenticity for what it is. And, that because of that value, it can be part of a monetary transaction.
Where I find that people are sometimes challenged is when they reduce the currency of values (ethical business practices, triple bottom line accounting, doing good for people) to simply profitability. The new thriving entrepreneurs and business leaders understand and apply triple bottom line accounting to their businesses. In the end, they authentically live, practice and influence others because of what they believe in. And, in these times, this is critical for the health of our planet.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
Celes Davar (www.earthrhythms.ca)
Cesar Abueg
13. Jul, 2009
Great read Elizabeth. Was very intrigued primarily by the title, and then it even got more interesting.
You pretty much summed up the reality of how our lives as a society have unfolded, and still unfolding. And how the very nature of the outcome is the result of our actions from the past.
As a nation, we set this, at least I hope many do, and a deep reflection is coming to mind.
Appreciate your insight, your honesty, your courage and your willingness to be vulnerable as well. It that’s not authentic, I don’t know what is, but does that mean I would need to know you more to make that judgment.
Nevertheless, thank you.
In Kevin Hall’s book, Asprie, the word “namaste” comes to mind:
“I salute your God-given gifts”
Sincerely,
Cesar A.
Michel Neray
05. Aug, 2009
excellent exploration of the subject. Y take is that authenticity is perhaps not everything it’s cracked up to be? Why not? Because we cannot be intentionally authentic — the best we can strive for is to be intentionally not inauthentic.
Nice piece.