"Authenticity" or "Being True to You" -- What Does the Idea Mean to You?

[ChristineM]

haha. You get me for a plumber and your troubles
will really begin! JUST for one, I am dyslexic enough
that I never know which way is tight, or loosen.
Sure, righty tighjty, but which way is that??

Then we get left handed threads just to screw things up

 

[Audie]

When working 2 pipe wrenches against each other, I sometimes lose track too.

Um two wrenches against eachother? is that a thing?

 

[Revoltingest]

Um two wrenches against eachother? is that a thing?

Oh, yes!
Sometimes one wants to tighten or loosen a particular joint, but not an adjacent one.
So one pipe wrench used in one direction on the adjacent fitting/pipe with isolate
it from the torque in the opposite direction by a wrench on the particular joint.
That's why I carry 2 pipe wrenches in each size....except for my 48" one.
I should get another of those, eh? But the wrench doing the resisting without
turning can typically be shorter cuz the joint torque helps resist the applied torque.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

As someone who is at least slightly existentialist, authenticity seems to be my natural state (he said, modestly). That really is a picture of me pretending to be an avatar, for example (though slightly artified). There are people on the forum who have dialogued with me in the past, and know that my thoughts tend to be the same all of the time. They also know that when I make an error, and it's pointed out to me, I'm the first to acknowledge it and incorporated this into my thought. On the other hand, if you just tell me I'm wrong and don't bother providing some evidence of how I erred, I am far more likely to retain my opinion regardless of your objection. I like to flatter myself that this is because I've actually thought hard about what my opinions are, and why I hold them.

 

[Revoltingest]

As someone who is at least slightly existentialist, authenticity seems to be my natural state (he said, modestly). That really is a picture of me pretending to be an avatar, for example (though slightly artified). There are people on the forum who have dialogued with me in the past, and know that my thoughts tend to be the same all of the time. They also know that when I make an error, and it's pointed out to me, I'm the first to acknowledge it and incorporated this into my thought. On the other hand, if you just tell me I'm wrong and don't bother providing some evidence of how I erred, I am far more likely to retain my opinion regardless of your objection. I like to flatter myself that this is because I've actually thought hard about what my opinions are, and why I hold them.

That's really you?
And here I thought you were only pretending to be devilishly handsome!

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

That's really you?
And here I thought you were only pretending to be devilishly handsome!

Yep, really me. I just (as I think you know) discovered my family background. My father and I never saw each other's faces, but here's a picture of the two of us. The upper left is my father at age 19, the other 2 are me at age 17. I think there is a slight family resemblance, what do you think?

 

[siti]

I'm curious what you think of authenticity, or being true to you?

I think I'll leave that for others to answer.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm confused how it is possible to NOT be authentic. Even if you are playing a role, it is *you* playing the role, right? So you are authentically an actor at that point.

No matter where you are and what you do, you are still you.

Poly, the key to understanding how it is possible to not be true to you is to take into account that there is more than one way to define who "you" is. So for instance, you are basically defining "you" as inclusive of everything someone does. That's fine, that's a legitimate way to define it, but there are other just as legitimate ways to define "you".

Now, if you define "you" as you have defined it, then your point is spot on. But suppose you were to define "you" as including your ancestral family standards and values. Say, you thought of yourself as not just what you did, but also in terms of "being a Smith" or "being a Jones", and of having certain family standards and values to live up to. Do you see how someone might -- in those circumstances -- feel they were at times more true to themselves than at other times?

There are dozens of ways of defining "you" such that authenticity is made a meaningful question.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't see how anyone can be other than themselves unless there is some degree of dissociative identity disorder or they are playing to the crowd.

See post #48, Chris.

 

[Sunstone]

Off in a new direction...
I don't see a problem with un-authenticity here on RF.
But there are troubled posters who challenge the authenticity
of others. It seems that they just cannot accept that another
would disagree with their obvious Truth. It offends them.
These naysayers must be dishonest or "intellectually dishonest",
which is the sanitized philosophical sounding insult.

I once years ago accused someone of being intellectually dishonest because I thought he was too smart to say such stupid things as he did. As it happened, he could not have been more than 20% smarter than most people, and consequently was by no means too smart to say such stupid things as he did. Perhaps you can imagine my embarrassment at falsely accusing him of intellectual dishonesty.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yep, really me. I just (as I think you know) discovered my family background. My father and I never saw each other's faces, but here's a picture of the two of us. The upper left is my father at age 19, the other 2 are me at age 17. I think there is a slight family resemblance, what do you think?
View attachment 31455

I think if I were that good look'n, grade school
& college might've been very different.

 

[Sunstone]

I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. Your answers have been both interesting and helpful. Much appreciated.

 

[Revoltingest]

I once years ago accused someone of being intellectually dishonest because I thought he was too smart to say such stupid things as he did. As it happened, he could not have been more than 20% smarter than most people, and consequently was by no means too smart to say such stupid things as he did. Perhaps you can imagine my embarrassment at falsely accusing him of intellectual dishonesty.

I claim intellectual inadequacy, & throw myself
on the mercy of the court of public opinion.
Results are mixed.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

So I'm curious (which is the main reason I was standing outside your window last night looking in. I'm curious. But that's another story), I'm curious what you think of authenticity, or being true to you? Any and all ideas welcome. Just want to understand your views, not debate them.

See you later on tonight!

Truth is universal and objective, not different between individuals. No such thing as "his truth" or "her truth", only "truth".

 

[Revoltingest]

Truth is universal and objective, not different between individuals. No such thing as "his truth" or "her truth", only "truth".

Not to us moral relativists.
There are only opinions widely shared or generally opposed.
This is a source of failure for trying to use logic to sway others.

 

[ChristineM]

Poly, the key to understanding how it is possible to not be true to you is to take into account that there is more than one way to define who "you" is. So for instance, you are basically defining "you" as inclusive of everything someone does. That's fine, that's a legitimate way to define it, but there are other just as legitimate ways to define "you".

Now, if you define "you" as you have defined it, then your point is spot on. But suppose you were to define "you" as including your ancestral family standards and values. Say, you thought of yourself as not just what you did, but also in terms of "being a Smith" or "being a Jones", and of having certain family standards and values to live up to. Do you see how someone might -- in those circumstances -- feel they were at times more true to themselves than at other times?

There are dozens of ways of defining "you" such that authenticity is made a meaningful question.

Even personally identifying with family or ancestry or name, it is still you doing the identifying.

 

[LiveBetterLife]

"Authenticity" or "Being True to You" -- What Does the Idea Mean to You?

The exact oppose of being fake to me. Which is like saxophone and heroin and stuff.