On the other hand – “authentic” is a word I’ve used for many years with my children to mean “true to oneself.” In fact I looked back to read the exchange you inspired because of a conversation today with my son , now 21. In our many conversations, the word has gathered lot of context there too: used in conjunction with “listen to your heart” doing what is “right” “fair” “honest.” “Aauthentic” and “authenticity” haven’t lost meaning for us, only become richer through experience and exploration- defining our understanding of choices we make when speaking to the integrity of action and ethic. (It doesn’t tame, but it does help steer essential, creative but wildly unruly passion.) We’ve never given up on the word in that context, and it seems to have held up quite well after all these years.

I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such… to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like “green”.

I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such… to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like “green”.

I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such… to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like “green”.

I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such… to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like “green”.