Authenticity is a contradiction to this observation as it encourages one to understand one's true self through self-reflection and to remain true to that self-portrait. Therefore, authenticity can be defined as being true to oneself. Being authentic means living in such a way that our choices reflect our true selves; our nominal self, reflecting one's inner desires and feelings, untainted by society's expectations. However, because society shapes our values and forms the origin of our opinions, authenticity is not without social influences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Integrity refers to having unshakable moral beliefs and the ability to remain true to one's ethical paradigm. A person with integrity is someone who is honest, someone whose actions match his words. However, authenticity does not simply imply adherence to one's professed moral code. For a person to be authentic, not only must he follow his firm beliefs, but his proclaimed ideals must also match the inner desires of his true self. Furthermore, unlike integrity, authenticity is not bound by morality: as long as a choice is selfish, it can be considered authentic. Sincerity can be defined as being truthful so that one can be honest in dealing with others; it is considered a characteristic of someone who blindly obeys social rules. Although sincerity is often confused with authenticity, there is a key distinction between the two: sincerity advocates honesty with oneself to sustain good social relationships, while authenticity encourages non-altruistic honesty in a person. In autonomy, a person critically evaluates all available relevant information while making personal decisions on their own, while in authenticity, a person makes personal decisions based on their feelings, through introspection. In autonomy, for example, if a person interested in painting chooses to study engineering for their degree after examining all the choices available to them, that person is autonomous but not authentic. This is because the person is choosing a degree that does not reflect them. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Therefore, I believe that authenticity with integrity and sincerity are a defining virtue in and of themselves. Although their essence may support selfishness, being authentic and sincere is good because it encourages people to live their lives according to their ideals: after all, we only live once. However, it is too weak a characteristic to define the moral dimension of a person on its own. Thus, authenticity must be strengthened by other characteristics such as integrity and sincerity, to ensure that a person's values are equally altruistic as selfish. Works Cited Harter, S. (2002). Authenticity. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 382–394). Oxford University Press.Wood, A. M., Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Baliousis, M., & Joseph, S. (2008). The authentic personality: a theoretical and empirical conceptualization and the development of the authenticity scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55(3), 385-399. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.55.3.385 Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 283-357. doi:10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38005-0Gino, F., & Ariely, D. (2011). The dark side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Newspaper0012801
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