Authenticity Wins
You will never regret being authentic.
I’ve uploaded a podcast version of this article here.
Your individualism sets you apart. Your uniqueness gives you definition. Your authenticity is the cornerstone for building your fully realized self.
Authenticity means living in alignment with your true values, emotions, and identity, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular.
Being authentic in all aspects of your life will from time to time lead to criticism and even serious, but temporary, difficulties. For example, when your honesty challenges friends, peers, cultural norms, or political issues. However, these short-term difficulties pale compared to the long-term fulfillment of living true to yourself and earning genuine respect from others.
You will never regret being authentic. No one will ever say, “I wish you would be less sincere,” or ask, “Why are you always so genuine?” Though some will be off-put by your candor, none will want you to be more deceptive.
When you fail to be authentic, you will be held accountable—most importantly, by yourself. Others may never know that you lied, deceived, or hid your true self, but you will always know—a knowledge that can erode your trust, integrity, and self-esteem, setting you on a path to failure. In contrast, choosing authenticity fosters deeper relationships, personal growth, and full self-realization.
Concepts like trust, integrity, self-esteem, and potential feature a kind of compound interest that accelerates their growth. Each authentic choice—such as admitting a mistake to a friend or standing up for your beliefs—builds these qualities, creating a virtuous cycle that propels you toward your full potential. But the reverse is also true: failure to be authentic will rapidly deteriorate these traits, and you will deteriorate with them.
In a world of curated, often deceptive, social media personas and performative virtue, the pressure to play "foolish games" of fakeness is relentless. The smart move is to reject that game entirely and focus on the one only you can win: being your authentic self.
This choice will confront you over and over again in life—in relationships, work, and beyond. There will always be lures to draw you into inauthenticity, into those "foolish games," and there will always be fakes of every kind competing against your authenticity. But since you aren’t playing their game, you can remain unfazed, undeterred, and focused on what matters most to you.
You must choose authenticity repeatedly, in all things and at all times.
And every time you do, you will win.
In the short term and long term, in the micro and macro, at scale or in the moment—today, tomorrow, and every day—being authentic in all things is the best, most ethical, and most principled approach. Authenticity always wins because it is the only winning play in the single-player game you ought to be playing.
With sincerity in all things as your key, your relationships are genuine, your self-respect is unshakable, your potential is fully realizable, and a life of fulfillment is unlocked. Be authentic, and it’s yours.
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Wow! Thank you! Right on time. All day I’ve been thinking how lonely it is at times. How to put into words the feelings because I know there’s others feeling the same way and I just want them to know I get it! And I feel it too. You are not alone. Keep holding the torch of hope and fighting the fight. the sacrifices I make today for my grandchildren’s future will be worth the battle providing them a life of freedom. Freedom I’ve never known.
I have found that being authentic can hold you back from the type of life progress that most people view as important and desirable. But it does allow you to look at yourself in the mirror everyday with the satisfaction of being at peace with the image you see. And it also confirms to your loved ones that you are exactly where you want to be.