Living authentically was central to existentialism long before it became diluted by modern self-help culture. Today, authentically is often framed as a solo journey—something achieved merely by turning inward, analyzing our feelings, and uncovering a hidden “core self.” But this hyper-focus on introspection often leads to an accidental trap: endless self-absorption disguised as self-discovery.

Philosopher Charles Guignon directly challenges this isolationist view. In On Being Authentic (2004), he writes, “When the ideal of authenticity is understood in its concrete social reality, it becomes clear that being authentic is not simply a matter of focusing on oneself, but also of considering how one’s engagement contributes to the common good of the public world of which one is a part.”

Guignon does not reject the desire to live authentically; rather, he redefines it so that it is not reduced to pure introspection or self-optimization. For authenticity to become real, we must step outside our own heads and engage responsibly with the world around us. 

The authentic person is therefore not merely true to their own feelings but also seeks to contribute to something greater than themselves. At this point—something greater than oneself—an interesting connection to the existentialist Søren Kierkegaard emerges. 

For Kierkegaard, too, human beings must move beyond the self-absorption that traps the self in despair. But where Guignon describes this larger context as the democratic and social community, Kierkegaard describes it as God.

Read the rest in Psychology Today.