Authenticity & Existence
Written by Martin Scharinger, Dec 2024
Recently, I seemed to have devised a career plan H. If plans A to G become obsolete, I shall hang up humanities on the metaphysical nail and open an Indian restaurant! Coriander, cloves, and cardamom culminate my cooking — it already brings me true joy. The hypothetical clientele, however, seems bewildered by the Austrian chef. With no connection to India, criticism rings out: "Good, but not really authentic "★★★★✩." Alas, I substitute curry for the computer, back to plan A.
This thought experiment suggests that authenticity requires some degree of truth. Without said "grain of truth," my restaurant would not be authentic. However, the untrained eye of the customer is not bothered if Chinese restaurants are run by Vietnamese, or if the Indian is actually Pakistani. One can conclude: if something appears true from the outside, it is perceived as authentic, regardless of whether it is true.
But what does "untrained" eye mean? The reason for apparent authenticity is not ignorance. Although linguistic prowess reveals that Urdu does not resemble Hindi, let him cast the first stone who derives Rimbaud’s life from his works, or who deduces Van Gogh’s madness from the Starry Night. Knowledge may enable us to unmask a façade, but this has little to do with authenticity. Authenticity is not an extrinsically true "semblance," but rather an intrinsically true "act." Society, however, falls prey to this collective delusion that authenticity can indeed be anchored in description.
Only true acting, that is, acting from an inner drive, is authentic. If one is honest in action, while in honest agreement with oneself; this is authenticity! In other words, if I open an Indian restaurant out of pure intrinsic desire, I act absolutely "authentically." Whether there exists an external reference to India is merely a description of my action from the outside, and therefore irrelevant to authenticity. Thus, authenticity does indeed require a degree of truth, but the action must be true, not the resulting product.
Both go often hand in hand: if you play the piano out of true joy for music, the music-making is also true and authentic. If you travel to Paris to fulfil a childhood dream, the journey is also authentic. Proportionally rare is the opposite: hypocrites or poor liars (like an obviously insincere thank you at Christmas) are not honest with themselves and simultaneously do not appear authentic.
The intermediate events are much more exciting. There is nothing more authentic than acting from pure, inner conviction, yet the resulting product need not appear authentic, as seen with the Indian restaurant. Conversely, apparent authenticity (or truth) can be based on completely inauthentic motivations! Visiting a museum of palaeontology without interest or any expectation is merely a better stroll. Examining the Sistine Chapel's ceiling fresco merely because it's a "must" for tourists is a complicated waste of time. Likewise, tradition only for tradition’s sake has no inherent value. One can sense how this understanding of authenticity collides with societal perception, entailing a societal habit of ascribing value from the outside.
These distinctions are important because authenticity is more important to us than ever! In a free world where everyone has the same opportunities, where anyone can become anything, and where nothing fundamentally separates us, we increasingly strive for individual self-realisation. Therefore, all tourism must not be a swim with the masses, and every new experience must somehow be unique. "Hidden gems" are the Wonders of today!
Admittedly, in a world where all of its knowledge fits in a pocket, God is dead, genders are fluid, and all other essentialisms are being deconstructed, so, in a world where everything can be anything, and all orientation aids or signposts have been destroyed, yet where society kindly demands its individuals to find out who they are (and to do it fast), robs us of security. Paradoxically, our postmodern freedom makes us cling even more firmly to the familiar, so that we end up “content” with an ordinary, but safe, existence within social norms instead of realising our true selves. But one cannot exist authentically.
Consequently, authenticity is no longer measured by inner values but is ascribed from the outside. The result: society has confused the stages of life with the stages of a career. We chase paper successes, titles, glamour and fame when we should be seeking self-fulfillment, personal growth, and happiness. Some fortunate individuals notice this deception and deem it "midlife crisis," while the unfortunate only realize in their dying days. What once seemed a worthy goal, is but latest in the face of death but a hollow concern for a world once cherished. What counts? How does one live a life and not simply exist between social norms? As mentioned earlier, only action from inner drive is authentic; only then can we realize ourselves.
However, being able to articulate this self, to endure one’s own thoughts, and to be happy with one’s personal imperfection – hardly anyone can do that these days. We have reached an era of unprecedented freedom and "self-alien." The self has never been identified. Every intrinsic appreciation, and thus necessary inner security, has never progressed beyond the core stage. Because of freedom, we unlearn how to live authentically.
All the more reason that we need a society that supports its individuals on their journey through freedom towards themselves. A society that alleviates the fear of flexibility, a society through which we can allow ourselves to wake up tomorrow perhaps as an insect or something else. We need a society that shares its external strength until we find our inner one.
But instead of teaching each other authenticity, we continue to do things because "that’s how one does it," because "that’s how it’s supposed to be," and because "that’s what’s good." At the same time, we punish those individuals among us who are willing to deviate from old paths for their self’s sake. Those who give in to life like a flag in the wind, those who are sometimes here, sometimes there, do sometimes this, sometimes that... in short: we punish the truly authentic among us with ostracism, labelling them as "dropouts," "free spirits," or "nonconformists." Meanwhile we indulge collectively in laziness of thought, celebrate our vices, rejoice in self-pity, and stifle every individuality with false truths and peasantry opium.
We attribute these false truths, for example, to a university degree, claim traditions are inherently meaningful, say one must have seen the Sistine Chapel, and learn a career is good per se. And lo and behold, we are once again confusing the stages of life with the stages of a career!
To be authentic means to know oneself and to act honestly accordingly. However, if one never gets to know oneself and inner security remains sealed off, one turns to the outer world. Here our social mechanisms come into play, which build social security and recognition through social norms. Society is therefore an extrinsic source of fundamental needs. For this source not to run dry, we allow ourselves to be led into traditional life patterns, do what is considered good and right, forget our individuality, and are "content" with mere existence.
Just as children must leave their parents' home, individuals must abstract from society. Just as we cannot grow up with overprotective parents, we cannot realise ourselves in a society that lures us with false, yet simple truths. One cannot exist authentically; one can only live authentically! So, for your own sake, gather your courage to vivify yourself and thus to find authenticity. This means trying, acting, making mistakes, testing yourself out (or opening an Indian restaurant). Even if customers find fault with a lack of authenticity, laugh, because they exist, whereas you live.
I’m happy to hear your thoughts, or comments!
E-mail: scharingermartin@outlook.com
Instagram: @martins
