In my relations with other people, sometimes I perceive it unconsciously - like intuition in Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink“. And sometimes it just gradually develops through repeated interaction. Merriam-Webster defines it partially as “sincerely and honestly felt or experienced”, “free from hypocrisy or pretense”. CK makes an interesting post about authenticity, from a different context though, and highlights the points: raw, no sugar-coating, and giving the self through storytelling
In my own personal development over the last couple years, I’ve meditated on the precept of loving kindness, as best taught to me by Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. It can be easy to apply to friends and family members, but what about the rest of the world? (let’s exclude children, the poor, and sick for whom feeling empathy comes naturally). Note: In the last 3 years I’ve made good friends online and offline…and the distinction between inner and outer circle is rapidly fading away.
This is where there’s much need for growth in our society. The ideals of individualism and return on personal investment still cloud a lot of thinking in our society. In our day and age, it seems people bent on treading the path alone while using others for temporary gain and access will have even greater trouble ahead and turn into even bigger jerks down the road.
According to Keith Ferrazzi, being generous and sincere in all our relations with others not only makes for a more fulfilling and joyful life but also a more successful career as an unexpected benefit. I am a third through his book: “Never Eat Alone” and I must recommend it for anyone starting their career. It has taught me a lot more about interpersonal communication in addition to Dale Carnegie’s classic. Keith even has a section on blogger culture, which I’m about to start. If you’re interested in learning what he has to say, he gave a presentation to Microsoft 13 mo. ago available Here (Note: IE browser only).
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Now to open up to readers:
How do you recognize authenticity?
Where is the line between general friendliness and superficiality? Should businesses teach their employees that difference?
Should all undergrads have a mandatory course in interpersonal communication and ethics? Like English 101?
