Exploring Authenticity and Agency

This chapter investigates the relationship between authenticity and personal agency through a study of narrative self-expression. It emphasizes that authentic narratives increase the sense of agency and highlights the importance of unity and communal themes. The discussion also critiques traditional views of authenticity, arguing it should be seen as a process rather than a static attribute.

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“What does it really mean to be authentic, and can this virtue be meaningfully understood and measured across psychology and philosophy?”

John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques and Matthew Schaublin embark on a discussion covering the concept of authenticity. The discussion explores authenticity as one of the premier virtues of modernity, comparing it with autonomy, and tracing its roots through romanticism and existentialism, notably discussing Heidgegger and Kierkegaard. Greg introduces psychological perspectives and client-centered therapy influenced by Carl Rogers, while Matthew shares insights from his empirical research on dispositional authenticity carried out at the University of Chattanooga. The trio also touch on the tensions between self-identification and participation, self-alienation, cognitive fluency, and the societal quest for authenticity, proposing a nuanced and dynamic understanding of the true self.

Gregg R. Henriques is an American psychologist. He is a professor for the Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, US.

Matthew Schaublin is a master’s candidate in psychology at the University of Chattanooga, with a four-year research focus on authenticity. His work blends empirical psychology with philosophical and classical inquiry, investigating how dispositional authenticity is expressed and experienced.

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Notes:

0:00 Introduction to the Lectern

0:45 Exploring the Concept of Authenticity

3:30 Greg's Perspective on Authenticity

5:00 Matthew's Research on Dispositional Authenticity

9:00 Theoretical Foundations of Authenticity

12:30 Philosophical and Clinical Perspectives

24:30 Relational and Psychological Dimensions

36:30 The Evolution of Self-Definition in Modernity

38:00 The Greek Roots of Authenticity

39:30 Modeling Authenticity and Personality

43:15 Rationalization and Authenticity

44:45 Tensions in Authenticity: Identification vs. Participation

49:00 The SAFE Model of Authenticity

55:00 Empirical Studies on Authenticity and Agency

1:06:30 Key Takeaways and Future Directions

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John Vervaeke:

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https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke

https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke

Gregg Henriques:

http://www.gregghenriques.com/

https://x.com/henriqgx

Matthew Shaublin:

https://www.instagram.com/matthewschaublin/

Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode

Kierkegaard’s Concept of Authenticity