What The New Science Of Authenticity Says About Discovering Your True Self
THE CONVERSATION - After following a white rabbit down a hole in the ground and changing sizes several times, Alice finds herself wondering “Who in the world am I?” This scene, from Lewis Carroll’s “ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ,” might resonate with you: In a world that’s constantly changing, it can be challenging to find your authentic self. I am a social psychologist , and over the past few years, my colleagues and I have been conducting research to better understand what it means to be authentic. Our findings provide some valuable insights that not only shed light on what is meant by authenticity – a somewhat vague term whose definition has been debated – but can also offer some tips for how to tap into your true self. What is authenticity? In “ Sincerity and Authenticity ,” literary critic and professor Lionel Trilling described how society in past centuries was held together by the commitment of