Authentic

Authentic, what does this mean? Well, the dictionary definition is – not being false, being genuine, being real.

It’s weird then, that we need to be told to be authentic really. It has become a real buzz word in this brave new world of the start-ups and entrepreneurship (more buzz words). We often hear ‘experts’/’guru’s’/’advisors’/’mentors’ saying ‘be authentic’.

But why wouldn’t you be authentic? Does this imply that before that people were all liars, cheats, untrustworthy and generally manipulative?

Well in varying degrees yes. Perhaps liars or cheats is harsh, although there have been a few to be honest.

The old school mentality is one of manipulation, either of the employee, the customer, the voter, the pupil and so on. We live in a world full of manipulations.

The real successes stories however, are always about the genuine, real and authentic. They never had to be told to be that way, as that’s how they have always been and always will be.

So be yourself always and don’t succumb to the manipulative world that surrounds us, be different and think different.