media and technology makes it easy to hide our true selves and create a specific online image of ourselves that we wish to projection to the public. Social expectations often pressure people into believing they have to “sell” their personality to the world; they believe they have to “sell” the idea that, in all ways, embody all of its standards and norms. Stigmas, stereotypes, discrimination, and unrealistic social standards often deter people from being authentic and showing their true self, out of fear of being judged or rejected. Perhaps it is because of the scarcity of authenticity in real life that the word authentic is so alluring to me. The most obvious reason behind the appeal of a word is its meaning. The standard, textbook definition of authentic includes being “of an undisputed origin,” “genuine,” “accurate,” …show more content…
Genuineness implies sincerity and truthfulness; accuracy _____; and reliability, or trustworthiness, evokes a sense of comfort. __________. The definition is not the only aspect that sets authentic apart in my eyes. A certain word might hold appeal to someone because it is fun to say, or the pronunciation is pleasing on the tongue. For me, authentic seems to reflect reality. Being authentic means to be true to yourself and being open and honest to others. The open aw sound at the very start of the word mimics the openness that is vital to authenticity. However, because of the double vowels, the initial sound produced is soft and breathy. The au, although a raw, pure sound, is a bit tentative, just as how people are often hesitant to show or embrace their