To be authentic, a person needs only to be themself. They don’t need to make any additional efforts, they don’t need to change anything. It sounds simple enough. So why is it, then, that living as one’s authentic self is so difficult for the majority of people?

The ideals that society deems important are outlined in the media. The emphasis that’s put on superficial things like being thin, or having a lighter complexion is not always realistic. People who fall short of these standards, will be scrutinized. It seems that as time marches on, finding people who are truly authentic is becoming increasingly rare. Only about 24% of people even know who their real self is. Society tends to put major pressure on people to act and behave a certain way, everything from how a person talks to how they look. Roughly 85% of high school students report being subject to this kind of pressure, with only 10% claiming to be unaffected.

People have become so preoccupied with fears of being different that they will change and hide things about themselves, often times without so much as a second thought. It isn’t even a question for them. They will complain about the way things are, about the standard that they are being held to, but by conforming to it they are also reinforcing that particular ideal, perpetuating the cycle.

Now this isn’t to say that change is a bad thing. That is not the case at all. However, positive change should come from a place of wanting to improve ones self to live a fuller, happier, and healthier life. As opposed to doing it so that others won’t view them poorly. By changing to fit some other person’s ideal they are preventing themself from achieving their full potential, they are limiting the growth that they would gain by living authentically.

By living a genuine, authentic lifestyle a person will find a deeper understanding of their sense of self. They will gain new self-confidence and experience a substantial improvement in their mental health now that they are no longer working against themself to please others or avoid judgement. When a person’s actions are in line with their words they are now able to have richer relationships not only with themself, but also with others. People will respect and trust the person much more because they know that whatever this person may choose to say, or to do, they mean it fully.