Tập Đọc số 60 | When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong Page 1

When your authenticity is

an act, something’s gone
wrong
Research shows that being authentic1 is not a modern-day concern, so why is it still a commonly used buzzword 2? Joseph E. Davis
— a research professor of sociology3 — examines how the past forty years have transformed our uniqueness into something more
superficial4.

Tough male grooming. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty

1 authentic (adj) - /ɔːˈθentɪk/ - being what it is claimed to be; genuine - how can we be sure the signature is authentic? - thật; xác thực, đáng tin

2 buzzword (n) - /bʌzwɜːrd/ - (also buzz phrase) a word or phrase, especially one connected with a particular subject, that has become fashionable and popular and is used a lot in newspapers, etc. - globalization is an
international buzzword - từ thường dùng, thuật ngữ thông dụng; (mỉa mai) từ xuất từ hay bắt chước biệt ngữ kỹ thuật mà bị mất ý nghĩa khi vào thời trang do người không chuyên môn hay dùng nó để giả bộ chuyên
môn - the car salesman knows all the buzzwords but can't tell you what all these parts do (ông bán xe biết tất cả mọi thuật ngữ hay, nhưng ông thực sự không thể trả lời các bộ phận này làm gì)

3 sociology (n) - /səʊsiˈɑːlədʒi/ - the scientific study of the nature and development of society and social behaviour - she has a degree in sociology and politics - xã hội học
4 superficial (adj) - /suːpərˈfɪʃl/ - appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully - when you first meet her, she gives a superficial impression of warmth and friendliness - ở bề mặt, nông
cạn, hời hợt, thiển cận
 Tập Đọc số 60 | When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong Page 2

← You can scan the QR code on the left to hear this article in
audio form, read to you by the voice of Curio.

“Today, there is little premium5 placed on being authentic,” writes the American philosopher Gordon
Marino in his moving6 meditation7 The Existentialist’s Survival Guide: How to Live Authentically in an
Inauthentic Age (2018). In our world of “selfies8, social media branding9, and managing your profile10 on
LinkedIn and Facebook … it is not who you are but who you seem to be!” In interviews for my own
sociological book on everyday suffering and our troubled quest for self-mastery, I too found little premium
placed on “being authentic”. And yet, organisational consultants inform us, in the pages of the Harvard
Business Review, that “the term authenticity has become a buzzword among organisational leaders”. In fact,
authenticity is “now ubiquitous11 in business, on personal blogs and even in style magazines”, according to
another writer. “Everyone wants to be authentic.”

So, which is it? Is authenticity fading away as a personal ethic12 or is it something everyone wants to be? In
fact, both are true – because the meaning of authenticity is changing.

5 put/place/set a premium on somebody/something (idiom) - /priːmiəm/ - to think that somebody/something is particularly important or valuable - they put a high premium on customer loyalty - đề cao cái gì, ưu
tiên cái gì

6 moving (adj) - /muːvɪŋ/ - causing strong, often sad, feelings about somebody/something - a deeply moving experience - cảm động, gợi mối thương tâm, làm mủi lòng

7 meditation (n) - /medɪˈteɪʃn/ - (formal) serious thoughts on a particular subject that somebody writes down or speaks - his meditations on life and art - sự ngẫm nghĩ, sự trầm ngâm, sự trầm tư mặc tưởng.
8 selfie (n) - /selfi/ - a photo of yourself that you take, typically with a smartphone or webcam, and usually put on social media - he posted a series of close-up selfies on his Instagram yesterday - (lóng) ảnh tự chụp,
hình tự chụp

9 social media branding (n) - /səʊʃəl ˈmiːdiə ˈbrændɪŋ/ - consistently using the right methods to engage with your target audience on social media platforms - Top 23 social media branding strategy for building
strong brand name in marketplace of eCommerce businesses - tiếp thị truyền thông xã hội

10 profile (n) - /prəʊfaɪl/ - information about a person's life, work, interests, etc. on a social networking website - you can post your relationship status on your Facebook profile - sơ lược tiểu sử

11 ubiquitous (adj) - /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ - seeming to be everywhere - the mobile phone, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age - ở đâu cũng có; đồng thời ở khắp nơi
12 ethic (n) - /eθɪk/ - moral principles that control or influence a person’s behaviour - the company was known for its poor business ethics and many people refused to buy its products - hợp với luân thường đạo lý,
đúng với nguyên tắc xử thế (một cá nhân)
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Authenticity, which in its modern sense dates13 back to the Romantics14 of the late 18th century, has never
had a single meaning. In much of our everyday usage15, the term means something more or less analogous16
to the way that we speak of an object being authentic – as the genuine17 article18, not a copy or a fake. We
think of people as authentic when they’re being themselves, consistent19 with their own personality and
without pretence20 or pretending. And when they’re being reliable and trustworthy, generally resistant21 to
the whims22 of the moment or the emotional approval of the crowd. In other words, when they show
themselves to be stable and consistent over time and in different circumstances.

But, as an ethical23 ideal24 – as a standard of what it is good to be, both in the way that we relate25 to
ourselves and others – authenticity means more than self-consistency or a lack of pretentiousness26. It also
concerns features of the inner life that define27 us. While there is no one “essence”28 of authenticity, as
Marino observes, the ideal has often been expressed as a commitment to being true to yourself, and ordering

13 date back (to…) | date from… | date to… (v) - /deɪt/ - to have existed since a particular time in the past or for the length of time mentioned - the college dates back to medieval times - có từ, bắt đầu từ, kể từ
14 Romantic (adj) - /roʊˈmæn.t̬ ɪk/ - relating to a style of art, music, and literature, popular in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, that deals with the beauty of nature and human emotions - Beethoven,
Schumann, and Chopin were leading Romantic composers - Chủ nghĩa lãng mạn vừa là trào lưu văn học, vừa là phương pháp sáng tác, mang một nội dung lịch sử xã hội-cụ thể, được hình thành ở Tây Âu sau Cách
mạng tư sản Pháp năm 1789. Chủ nghĩa lãng mạn chia làm hai khuynh hướng: lãng mạn tích cực và lãng mạn tiêu cực, nhưng giữa chúng vẫn có mối liên hệ qua lại khá phức tạp.

15 usage (n) - /juːsɪdʒ/ - the way a particular word in a language, or a language in general, is used - the earliest recorded usage of the word is in the twelfth century - cách dùng, cách sử dụng

16 analogous (adj) - /əˈnæləɡəs/ - having similar features to another thing and therefore able to be compared with it - the emergency vehicle for the International Space Station is analogous to a lifeboat - tương tự,
giống nhau

17 genuine (adj) - /dʒenjuɪn/ - real; exactly what it appears to be; not artificial - if it is a genuine Michelangelo drawing, it will sell for millions - thật, chính cống, xác thực

18 article (n) - /ɑːrtɪkl/ - a particular thing, especially one that is one of several things of a similar type or in the same place - guests are advised not to leave any articles of value in their hotel rooms - đồ, thức, vật
phẩm; hàng

19 consistent (adj) - /kənˈsɪstənt/ - (approving) always behaving in the same way, or having the same opinions, standards, etc. - she's not very consistent in the way she treats her children - nhất quán, kiên định,
trước sau như một

20 pretence (n) - /prɪˈtens/ - a way of behaving that is intended to deceive people - she made absolutely no pretence of being interested - sự làm ra vẻ, sự giả vờ, sự giả đò, sự giả bộ
21 resistant (adj) - /rɪˈzɪstənt/ - not affected by something; able to resist something - plants that are resistant to disease - chống cự, kháng cự, đề kháng

22 whim (n) - /wɪm/ - a sudden wish to do or have something, especially when it is something unusual or unnecessary - we bought the house on a whim - ý chợt nảy ra; ý thích chợt nảy ra
23 ethical (adj) - /eθɪkl/ - relating to beliefs about what is morally right and wrong - the ethical dilemmas surrounding genetic research - (thuộc) đạo đức, (thuộc) luân thường đạo lý

24 ideal (n) - /aɪˈdiːəl/ - an idea or standard that seems perfect, and worth trying to achieve or obtain - she found it hard to live up to his high ideals - lý tưởng
25 relate to something/somebody (v) - /rɪˈleɪt/ - to be able to understand and have sympathy with somebody/something - our product needs an image that people can relate to - đồng cảm

26 pretentiousness (n) - /prɪˈtenʃəsnəs/ - the fact of trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people - there was no hint of pretentiousness in her manner - tính tự phụ, tính kiêu căng, tính
khoe khoang

27 define (v) - /dɪˈfaɪn/ - to make or establish the essential character or somebody/something - for some, the football club defines their identity - định nghĩa, làm nên

28 essence (n) - /esns/ - the most important quality or feature of something, that makes it what it is - his paintings capture the essence of france - bản chất
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your soul and living your life so as to give faithful expression to your individuality29, cherished projects and
deepest convictions30.

Authenticity in this ethical sense also had a critical edge31, standing against and challenging the utilitarian32
practices and conformist33 tendencies of the conventional social and economic order. Society erects barriers
that the authentic person must break through. Finding your true self means self-reflection34, engaging in
candid35 self-appraisal36 and seeking ‘genuine self-knowledge’, in the words of the American philosopher
Charles Guignon. It means making your own those truths that matter crucially to you, as the Canadian
philosopher Charles Taylor stresses, the truths that it’s right and necessary to be true to. In this
understanding, the inward turn is not an end37 in itself. It’s a means38 to personal wholeness and access to
shared horizons39 of meaning that transcend40 the self and contribute to a richer, more human world.

The meanings of authenticity that concern the inner life are now fading away. They are not, as Marino
suggests, and as I too have argued, consistent with how life is generally lived today. But there is an
alternative meaning – an authenticity that is harmonious41 with our times. Here is a mode of authenticity that
we might say ‘everyone wants to be’, because here is the mode that everyone is expected to be.

In his book The Society of Singularities (2017), the German social theorist Andreas Reckwitz argues that a
larger ‘authenticity revolution’ has swept the world during the past 40 years. The register42 of values has

29 individuality (n) - /ɪndɪˌvɪdʒuˈæləti/ - the qualities that make a person or thing different from others - it's a competent essay but it lacks individuality - đặc tính cá nhân
30 conviction (n) - /kənˈvɪkʃn/ - a strong opinion or belief - he said he was enjoying his new job, but his voice lacked conviction - sự tin chắc

31 edge (n) - /edʒ/ - an advantage over other people - in terms of experience, she definitely had the edge over the other people that we interviewed - một tính chất hay yếu tố đem lại tình trạng ưu việt so với đối thủ
cạnh tranh gát gao

32 utilitarian (adj) - /juːtɪlɪˈteriən/ - (formal) designed to be useful and practical rather than attractive - her clothes were utilitarian, unlike the elaborate dresses the other girls were wearing - vị lợi, thực dụng

33 conformist (adj) - /kənˈfɔːrmɪst/ - behaving or thinking like everyone else, rather than being differen - she was the conformist daughter while her sister was a rebel - kẻ tuân thủ (luôn luôn theo một tập tục nào)
34 reflection (n) - /rɪˈflekʃn/ - careful thought about something, sometimes over a long period of time - on reflection (= after considering it), I decided I had been wrong - sự suy nghĩ, sự ngẫm nghĩ

35 candid (adj) - /kændɪd/ - saying what you think openly and honestly; not hiding your thoughts - to be candid, I can’t stand her - thật thà, ngay thẳng, bộc trực
36 appraisal (n) - /əˈpreɪzl/ - a judgement of the value, performance or nature of somebody/something - she was honest in her appraisal of her team's chances - sự đánh giá

37 end (n) - /end/ - an aim, intention, or purpose - do you have a particular end in mind? - mục đích sau cùng, đích đến sau cùng
38 means (n) - /miːnz/ - a method or way of doing something, a way of achieving or doing something - they had no means of communication - phương tiện; biện pháp; cách thức

39 horizon (n) - /həˈraɪzn/ - the limit of your desires, knowledge or interests - she wanted to travel to broaden her horizons - (nghĩa bóng) tầm nhìn, tầm nhận thức, phạm vi hiểu biết
40 transcend (v) - /trænˈsend/ - to go further, rise above, or be more important or better than something, especially a limit - the beautiful scene transcends my power of description - vượt quá, hơn

41 harmonious (adj) - /hɑːrˈməʊniəs/ - arranged together in a way that is pleasant because each part goes well with the others - a harmonious combination of colours - hoà thuận, hoà hợp
42 register (n) - /redʒɪstər/ - (linguistics) the level and style of a piece of writing or speech, that is usually appropriate to the situation that it is used in - the essay suddenly switches from a formal to an informal
register - phong cách, phong thái, sắc điệu
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shifted, he shows, away from anything standardised43 and regular and toward objects, images, services and
events that are regarded as being unique and singular. Think of artisan bread44 and craft beer45, off-the-
beaten-path46 travel destinations and local diversity, online profiles and Spotify playlists, self-tracking47 and
lifelogging48, products with ‘stories’ and spaces with ‘atmospheres’. The list is endless, especially among the
educated middle classes. Enormous energy is now directed to making things appear ‘authentic’ – that is,
particular and distinctive49, standing apart from the typical, the ordinary, the mass-produced. Uniqueness has
a social status and value of its own.

The high status accorded to the singular, Reckwitz argues, includes people. Each person is enjoined50 to
stand out from the crowd, to achieve something special and extraordinary. Authenticity has become an
obligation. Reckwitz captures this conundrum51 with the paradoxical concept of ‘performative authenticity’.
Authenticity, in this sense, is the way to be because to be ‘somebody’ is to develop your unique self, your
differentness from others and your noninterchangeable life. Being merely average or well adjusted, or
without a cultivated portfolio of special competencies and attractive qualities, is a mark of failure – a mark
of inauthenticity – regardless of your inner life and relation to self.

Performative authenticity is tied to economic success and social prestige52, which means – and this is a
further paradoxical feature – that your specialness and self-realisation have to be performed. In order for
people to distinguish themselves, they must seek attention and visibility, and positively affect others with
their self-representations, personal characteristics and quality of life. In doing so, they have to take great

43 standardise (v) - /stændərdaɪz/ - to make objects or activities of the same type have the same features or qualities; to make something standard - we standardize parts such as rear-view mirrors, so that one type
will fit any model of car we make - tiêu chuẩn hoá

44 artisan (n) - /ɑːrtəzn/ - a person who does work that needs a special skill, making things with their hands - the hand-woven textiles were made by skilled local artisans - thợ thủ công

45 craft beer (n/ - /ˌkræft ˈbɪr/ - beer made using traditional methods in small, independent breweries - he usually drinks good wine or craft beer - bia thủ công
46 off the beaten path (phrase) - /also off the beaten track/ - not known or popular with many people - we wanted to find a camping site that was a little bit off the beaten path - đến một địa điểm hẻo lánh, một nơi
không thường xuyên lui tới, nằm khuất hoặc nằm ngoài một khu vực trung tâm, nổi tiếng hoặc du lịch

47 self-tracking (n/ - practices in which people knowingly and purposively collect information about themselves, which they then review and consider applying in their lives - today, people use technology to self-
track: hours slept, steps taken, calories consumed, medications administered - khi mọi người cố ý và có chủ đích thu thập thông tin về bản thân họ, sau đó họ sẽ xem xét và cân nhắc áp dụng vào cuộc sống của mình

48 lifelog (n/ - A personal record of one’s daily life in a varying amount of detail, for a variety of purposes. The record contains a comprehensive dataset of a human's activities. The data could be used to increase
knowledge about how people live their lives. In recent years, some lifelog data has been automatically captured by wearable technology or mobile devices - People who keep lifelogs about themselves are known as
lifeloggers (or sometimes lifebloggers or lifegloggers/ - Bản ghi cá nhân về cuộc sống hàng ngày của một người với số lượng chi tiết khác nhau, cho nhiều mục đích, ví dụ được sử dụng để nâng cao kiến thức về cách
mọi người sống cuộc sống của họ.

49 distinctive (adj) - /dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/ - having a quality or characteristic that makes something different and easily noticed - the male bird has distinctive white markings on its head - đặc biệt, khác biệt, riêng biệt
50 enjoin (v) - /ɪnˈdʒɔɪn/ - (formal) to order or strongly advise somebody to do something; to say that a particular action or quality is necessary - fasting is enjoined on believers as a religious duty - khiến, bắt phải,
ra lệnh, chỉ thị

51 conundrum (n) - /kəˈnʌndrəm/ - a confusing problem or question that is very difficult to solve - arranging childcare over the school holidays can be a real conundrum for working parents - câu hỏi hóc búa
52 prestige (n) - /preˈstiːʒ/ - respect and admiration given to someone or something, usually because of a reputation for high quality, success, or social influence - many people are attracted by the prestige of
working for a top company - uy tín; thanh thế
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care that their performance isn’t perceived53 as staged54. To be ‘authentic’ – genuine – they have to give the
impression that they’re just being themselves. The effort has to appear effortless, otherwise it will backfire55.

Performative authenticity shares with older, inner conceptions of authenticity the notion56 that each of us has
our own unique way of being in the world. But the concepts otherwise diverge57. The inner ideal aims at a
way of being that is unfeigned58 and without illusions. It resists the cultivation of an affirming59 audience,
because being a ‘whole60’ person, with a noninstrumental relation to self and others, is often at odds with61
the demands of society. The benefit is a richer, examined62 life, but there is always the risk of paying a price
for living authentically in terms of lesser social acclaim63 and outward success. Authenticity thus
understood, it’s safe to say, was never a ‘buzzword among organisational leaders’.

In the performative mode, by contrast, this tension between self and society disappears. Self-elaboration still
requires self-examination, but not necessarily of any inner or even aesthetic kind (‘life as a work of art’).
Something more like an inventory is needed, and some schools of psychology and popular self-help actually
recommend that the way to know yourself isn’t through personal reflection, but by convening a focus group
of those familiar with your personality, desires and talents – ‘likes’ and other social media feedback serve
this purpose. Useful personal traits are cultivated in interaction with the appropriation of unusual or
unusually combined objects, experiences, styles and identities – a rare breed of dog, special cooking
techniques, the obscure knowledge of sneaker brands, an offbeat musical style, a novel sexual orientation,
and so on. Together, they’re put to work as the basis for composing and curating your unique difference.
This difference has no meaning or standing of its own; it only achieves value, only counts as authentic, when
it’s socially recognised as such – as original, interesting, complex – and brings esteem and tangible success.

53 perceive (v) - /pərˈsiːv/ - to come to an opinion about something, or have a belief about something - women’s magazines are often perceived to be superficial - cảm nhận

54 stage (v) - /steɪdʒ/ - to arrange the performance of a play or other entertainment - Bejart was staging his own ballets - dàn cảnh; sắp xếp
55 backfire (v) - /bækˈfaɪər) - /of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended - her plans to make him jealous backfired on her when he started dating her best friend - đem lại kết quả ngược lại sự
mong đợi

56 notion (n) - /nəʊʃn/ - an idea, a belief or an understanding of something - a political system based on the notions of equality and liberty - ý niệm, khái niệm
57 diverge (v) - /daɪˈvɜːrdʒ/ - to follow a different direction, or to be or become different - they walked along the road together until they reached the village, but then their paths diverged - trệch; đi trệch, khác
nhau, bất đồng (ý kiến... )

58 unfeigned (adj) - /ʌnˈfeɪnd/ - real and sincere, genuine - unfeigned admiration - chân thực, thành thực
59 affirm (v) - /əˈfɜːrm/ - to state clearly or publicly that something is true or that you support something strongly (synonym confirm/ - I can affirm that no one will lose their job - khẳng định, xác nhận; quả quyết

60 whole (adj) - /həʊl/ - complete or not divided - you have to stand up in court and promise to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” - đầy đủ, nguyên vẹn, nguyên chất, trọn vẹn, toàn bộ
61 be at odds (with something) (idioms) - /ɑːdz/ - to be different from something, when the two things should be the same - management’s and shareholders’ interests seem to be at odds - đối lập, chống lại, mâu
thuẫn, trái với

62 examine (v) - /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/ - to check or study something carefully, especially to prove an idea, learn new information, or discover possible problems - the company’s financial statements will then be thoroughly
examined by an independent auditor - khám xét, xem xét, thẩm tra, khảo sát, nghiên cứu

63 acclaim (n) - /əˈkleɪm/ - praise and approval for somebody/something, especially an artistic achievement - despite the critical acclaim, the novel did not sell well - tiếng hoan hô, sự hoan nghênh (của nhà phê
bình)
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Performing your difference isn’t necessarily a zero-sum game. Markets and digital technologies have greatly
expanded the infrastructure of possibilities. It is, however, a competition for scarce attention that requires
continuous assessment and feedback, and offers little respite. Like fashions, there’s pressure toward the new
and the novel, and what was unique one day might be commonplace the next. Even if you pull off a good
performance, there’s a need to be flexible, to be ready to reinvent your difference. There’s always the danger
of becoming inconspicuous64.

Given the sharp dissimilarities, we can see how authenticity might be both in decline (in the inner mode) and
in ascendance65 (in the performative mode) at the same time. The evidence for the decline of one might be a
sign of the rise of the other. In light of the performative mode, we can see why Marino sees that authenticity
(in the inner mode) is being lost, as seemingly ‘everyone has become their own unabashed66 publicist67’. We
can see why, as I found in my interviews, people laid little stress68 on the need for introspection69 and
faulted70 themselves, not for being too caught up in the superficialities71 of society, but for failing to meet its
imperatives72 of success. In conceptualising73 the practice of the self and its relation to a good life and a good
society, the two modes are nearly mirror opposites.

Marino’s book is called a ‘survival guide’ and what we need to survive might be usefully thought of as
distorted74 pictures of authenticity, including corrupted expressions of the inner mode. In his powerful
critique The Ethics of Authenticity (1991), Taylor argues that our contemporary75 culture of self-fulfilment76
64 inconspicuous (adj) - /ˌɪnkənˈspɪkjuəs/ - not attracting attention; not easy to notice - its dull brown feathers make the bird inconspicuous - kín đáo, không lồ lộ, không dễ thấy

65 ascendance = ascendancy (n) - /əˈsendənsi/ - the position of having power or influence over somebody/something - the poor have a moral ascendancy over the rich - uy thế, uy lực
66 unabashed (adj) - /ˌʌnəˈbæʃt/ - not ashamed, embarrassed or affected by people’s negative opinions, when other people would be - she watched them kissing with unabashed interest - không ngại ngùng, không
hổ thẹn

67 publicist (n) - /ˈpʌblɪsɪst/ - a person whose job is to make something known to the public, for example a new product, actor, etc. - he was the government's publicist, writing pamphlets, verses and periodicals
which were instrumental in discrediting the Whigs - người làm quảng cáo

68 stress (n) - /stres/ - special importance given to something - she lays great stress on punctuality - sự nhấn mạnh

69 introspection (n) - /ˌɪntrəˈspekʃn/ -the careful examination of your own thoughts, feelings and reasons for behaving in a particular way - these situations are best resolved with the minimum of introspection or
self-analysis - sự tự xem xét nội tâm; sự nội quan

70 fault (v) - /fɔːlt/ - to find a mistake or a weakness in somebody/something - he had always been polite—she couldn’t fault him on that - chê trách, bới móc

71 superficiality (n) - /ˌsuːpərˌfɪʃiˈæləti/ - the fact that something is not careful and only considers what is obvious - academic reviewers criticized the superficiality of his writing - tính nông cạn, tính hời hợt, tính
thiển cận

72 imperative (n) - /ɪmˈperətɪv/ - a thing that is very important and needs immediate attention or action; a factor that makes something necessary - the economic imperative of quality education for all - sự cấp bách,
khẩn thiết

73 conceptualise (v) - /kənˈsep.tʃu.ə.laɪz/ - to form an idea or principle in your mind - he argued that morality could be conceptualized (= thought about) as a series of principles based on human reason - khái niệm
hóa

74 distorted (adj) - /dɪˈstɔːrtɪd/ - (of facts or ideas) presented in a way that changes them so that they are no longer correct or true - he presents a grossly distorted view of the issues - bị bóp méo, xuyên tạc (sự việc...
)

75 contemporary (adj) - /kənˈtempəreri/ - belonging to the present time - he is among the best-known contemporary artists - đương thời, đương đại, hiện đại, tân thời
76 self-fulfilment (n) - /ˌself fʊlˈfɪlmənt/ - the feeling of being happy and satisfied that you have everything you want or need - when the options are unemployment or a boring job, having babies can seem like the
only means of self-fulfilment - sự hoàn thành ước nguyện của chính mình.
 Tập Đọc số 60 | When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong Page 8

and unfettered77 choice is built, in part, on ‘trivialised78’ and ‘self-centred79 modes’ of authenticity. ‘Properly
understood,’ however, ‘authenticity is not the enemy of demands that emanate80 from beyond the self’ –
demands of society, nature, tradition, God or the bonds of solidarity81 – ‘it supposes such demands.’ To
bracket them off, he continues, ‘would be to eliminate all candidates for what matters’.

The performative mode is, if anything, a further flight into atomism82 and away from stable frameworks and
sources of meaning. But the problem runs deeper, as the demonstration of specialness and optimised83 self-
development are built into the very standards of success. The performative fosters84 a detached85 form of
self-awareness that potentially measures everything in terms of its strategic value for visibility, recognition
and reward. And, knowing the game, it fosters the sceptical sense that everyone else’s actions carry an
ulterior, manipulative86 intent. Just being ourselves becomes a guise87, behind which we fashion ourselves to
be – in the worldly scale of values – someone who counts.

The performative mode fosters a profound isolation and sense of insecurity. This mode captures many of the
normative standards against which the people I interviewed evaluated themselves and found themselves
wanting – they weren’t outgoing enough, positive enough, performing highly enough, moving on from loss
or defeat quickly enough, organising their intimate relations contractually88 enough. They weren’t ‘special’,
but ordinary – in dread of being labelled ‘losers’. What I found confirms Reckwitz’s claim that the demand

77 unfettered (adj) - /ʌnˈfetərd/ - not limited in any way - an unfettered free market - tự do, không bị giới hạn theo bất cứ cách nào
78 trivialise (v) - /ˈtrɪviəlaɪz/ - to make something seem less important, serious, difficult, etc. than it really is - it is important not to trivialize children’s worries - tầm thường hoá, làm cho (một vấn đề, đối tượng ) có
vẻ tầm thường

79 self-centred (adj) - /ˌself ˈsentərd/ - tending to think only about yourself and not thinking about the needs or feelings of other people - these are obviously self-centred and cold-hearted individuals who care only
for their well-being and betterment - tự cho mình là trung tâm

80 emanate (v) - /ˈeməneɪt/ - to produce or show something - he emanates power and confidence - phát ra, bắt nguồn

81 solidarity (n) - /ˌsɑːlɪˈdærəti/ - support by one person or group of people for another because they share feelings, opinions, aims, etc. - to express/show solidarity with fellow students - sự đoàn kết; sự liên kết
82 atomism (n) - /ˈætəmɪzəm/ - the idea of understanding something by separating it into its different parts - social atomism sees individual people as the fundamental particles, autonomous ultimate units in full
charge of their destiny, empowered to make contracts freely - luận thuyết về việc hiểu điều gì đó bằng cách tách nó thành các phần khác nhau

83 optimise (v) - /ˈɑːptɪmaɪz/ - to make something as good as it can be; to use something in the best possible way - to optimize the use of resources - tối ưu hóa
84 foster (v) - /ˈfɑːstər/ - to encourage something to develop - the club’s aim is to foster better relations within the community - bồi dưỡng, ấp ủ, nuôi

85 detached (adj) - /dɪˈtætʃt/ - showing a lack of feeling - she wanted him to stop being so cool, so detached, so cynical - lãnh đạm, thờ ơ, hờ hững, dửng dưng; không thiết, không quan tâm, không để ý, bàng quan
86 manipulative (adj) - /məˈnɪpjəleɪtɪv/ - (disapproving) showing skill at influencing somebody or forcing somebody to do what you want, often in an unfair way - he’s extremely manipulative, so don’t let him
persuade you - (thuộc) sự lôi kéo, (thuộc) sự vận động (bằng mánh khoé)

87 guise (n) - /ɡaɪz/ - a way in which somebody/something appears, often in a way that is different from usual or that hides the truth about them/it - his speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism -
chiêu bài, lốt, vỏ

88 contractually (adv) - /kənˈtræktʃuəli/ - in a way that is connected with the conditions of a legal written agreement, or that is agreed in a contract - the landowner is contractually obliged to maintain and conserve
the land - bằng hợp đồng, bằng giao kèo, bằng khế ước
 Tập Đọc số 60 | When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong Page 9

to stand out and prove your worth is ‘a systematic89 generator of disappointment that does much to explain
today’s high levels of psychological disorder’.

Taylor suggests that, to confront false modes of authenticity and open a space to consider alternative
conceptions of the good, we should remind ourselves of those features of the human condition that show
these modes to be empty. A place to begin, following Marino’s guidance, is with the Danish philosopher
Søren Kierkegaard. Our existential condition reveals itself to us most clearly when our lives have become
unmoored90, when we come face to face with our vulnerability91, our dependence, our limits, the seeming
meaninglessness of it all. Just here is where Kierkegaard intervenes92. If we want to live authentically –
properly understood – there’s no wiser guide. ■

1,871 words

Joseph E Davisis research professor of sociology and chair of the Picturing the Human Colloquy at the Institute
for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. His latest book is Chemically Imbalanced: Everyday
Suffering, Medication, and Our Troubled Quest for Self-Mastery (2020).

31 March 2021, from : https://psyche.co/ideas/when-your-authenticity-is-an-act-somethings-gone-wrong

89 systematic (adj) - /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk/ - done according to a system or plan, in a complete, efficient or determined way - a systematic approach to solving the problem - có hệ thống, có phương pháp

90 unmoored (adj) - /ʌnˈmʊrd/ - having little confidence and being uncertain about how you should feel or behave, or what you should do - was he crazy or just temporarily unmoored by jealousy? - không tự tin và
không chắc chắn về cách bạn nên cảm thấy hoặc hành xử, hoặc về những gì bạn nên làm

91 vulnerability (n) - /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/ - the fact of being weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally - she has recently lost her mother, increasing her emotional vulnerability - tính chất có thể bị tổn thương;
tính chất có thể bị tấn công, tính chất có thể công kích được

92 intervene (v) - /ˌɪntərˈviːn/ - to become involved in a situation in order to improve or help it - she went over to intervene between the two men - xen vào, can thiệp