Authenticity is a complex concept that encompasses the sincere expression of one's personality, emotions, desires, values ​​and beliefs. This means living according to your desires and needs without regard to external expectations and social norms. Authenticity encourages you to be yourself, to bring your uniqueness to this world and to resist the pressure of external circumstances that force you to be someone other than yourself. Authenticity is not just some kind of superficial representation. This is full self-expression in interaction with the world. Authenticity and conformity. Authenticity contrasts with conforming behavior. Conforming behavior has a significant impact on thoughts, feelings and subsequent behavior, which supports the continued fulfillment of social expectations and norms. Conformity often grows out of a feeling of fear of judgment, rejection or a desire for social approval. This can lead to internal contradictions, a loss of sense of self, and suppression of true thoughts, emotions or desires. In contrast to conformity, authenticity encourages self-expression and the demonstration of one's identity. Authentic behavior is built on self-acceptance and affects many components of the personality. Behaving authentically means matching experience and its external manifestation. Such conformity reduces the likelihood of internal conflicts, expands the emotional spectrum, reduces stress and anxiety, and contributes to overall well-being. People who behave authentically are better equipped to cope with stressful situations and overcome difficulties. They have a solid foundation of self-acceptance and trust in themselves, which gives them the opportunity to cope with difficulties more resiliently and adaptively. Authentic behavior contributes to a person’s successful formation of a circle of close connections, which consist of like-minded people and reliable allies, since it depends on how a person positions himself and expresses that it greatly depends on who is next to him. Authenticity allows you to achieve effective communication and emotional sincerity between people. How to achieve authenticity. Exploring your values, beliefs and desires. Thoughtful work on these personal components is of great importance in achieving authenticity, since without a real awareness of one's own values, desires and beliefs, it is impossible to bring thoughts and actions into line with each other. Overcoming the fear of social condemnation and rejection. It is necessary to find out what beliefs these fears are based on and challenge these beliefs, and then replace them with new, more adaptive and rational ones. It is also worth paying attention to your surroundings and finding out how much it suits you and corresponds to your values, beliefs and desires. Acceptance of your vulnerabilities and shortcomings. Weakness can lead to strength because it is a point of possible growth. Authenticity involves being sincere and open, even in the face of potential criticism and judgement. This tool must be handled with care. Any criticism and condemnation should be considered and conclusions drawn. The criticism may or may not be justified. It is important to understand how justified it is and take action. Confident, sincere and effective communication. You need to confidently convey information about your desires, intentions, needs and boundaries to others. Also important is the ability to say “no” when you want it. All this allows you to maintain authenticity in your behavior. It is also important to develop the skills of active and empathetic participation in communication. Engaging in sincere, open communication, freely expressing your thoughts, emotions, beliefs without judgment is very important for building a trusted, supportive circle of like-minded people. Thus, by following these steps, you can come to an authentic representation of yourself in the world. However, it is worth remembering an important nuance. Movement towards authenticity is not a pursuit of ideality. It is rather a movement towards a truthful attitude towards oneself and the world, awareness and acceptance.