I Like Authentic People, Without Artifice

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Sergio De Dios González.

Written by Sofia Alcausa Hidalgo

Last update: 21 December, 2022

I like real people, without artifice. People who do not deceive themselves or others…I also want to be that way. To live permanently in a lie, just because I am worried about “what they will say,” only enslaves me. It serves nothing more than to keep me from being happy. Life is so short; it doesn’t make sense to live the life that others want.

But I also like the real people who help others with a respectful attitude; without looking over their shoulder, without judgment, without whispering behind their back. Surely if each of us did our part, the world would be much better in this regard.

Being authentic is not hiding from fear

I like real people who have learned to live without fear and take the world by storm, no matter what the neighbors say behind their back. I like them because they, without a doubt, show me that they are happy and it is a life lesson for me.

And me? I haven’t been authentic at times and I may have also judged others, because I’m human and I make mistakes. But I have the ability to reflect on my mistakes, with others and with myself. I know I shouldn’t hide, I have to show myself the way I am. Whoever loves me will love me as I am, and that’s it.

Being authentic is not judging

I have also learned to correct myself, to tell myself on the inside: Do not judge, let the world run its course, do not look at the people in this way or that, treat everyone equally.

If you don’t like someone, be polite, correct and let them go their way. Try to make this world a better place with your attitude, at least what you have at your fingertips, as far as your relationships and respect for others is concerned.

What is an authentic person like?

Authentic people consider that being themselves is the best gift they can give to others and ultimately themselves. Some of the features that define them are:

• They are not afraid of “what others will say.” They took off that absurd mask a long time ago.
• They acknowledge to themselves and to others that they are not perfect.
• They know they are vulnerable.
• They don’t care that they may look bad in front of many people.

How are people who judge others?

By contrast, people who judge others and are focused on what other people do, think or feel have lives that are characterized by:

• They don’t usually show how they are. They are not authentic. They think they are perfect and imperfection is something experienced by the rest.
• They are often unhappy with their life. They try to justify their life by criticizing others.
• They are not critical of themselves.
• They don’t have interests or activities that entertain them. They get bored and their hobby is to criticize others.
• They are often envious. They speak of others, criticize them because deep down what they have is envy. Envy that does not harm others, but rather hurts them.

These people who for one reason or another, for fear of rejection, fear of what people might say or of retaliation, have not yet been able to really show who they are. Only when one is oneself to others and leaves behind the old backpack that weighs so much will one begin to see life with a happiness that was lost.