In philosophy, a failure of authenticity refers to a condition in which a person lives in a way that is not true to themselves—that is, they conform to external expectations, roles, or societal pressures rather than acting in accordance with their own values, beliefs, or desires.
This concept is most deeply explored in existentialist philosophy, especially in the works of:
1. Jean-Paul Sartre
- Sartre calls the failure of authenticity “bad faith” (mauvaise foi).
- It happens when someone denies their own freedom and pretends to be just a role (e.g., “just a waiter,” “just a mother”) instead of recognizing themselves as a free being who constantly chooses.
- Example: A man who convinces himself he must stay in a miserable job because “that’s just the way life is” is in bad faith—he is evading the responsibility of choice.
2. Martin Heidegger
- Heidegger describes inauthenticity as falling into “das Man”—the “they-self” or the anonymous “one” (as in “one must go to college to be successful”).
- An inauthentic person is absorbed in social norms, doing what “one does” without questioning why.
- Authenticity means owning your being, especially your own mortality—living in a way that recognizes your life is finite and uniquely yours.
3. Søren Kierkegaard
- Kierkegaard describes inauthenticity as living in “despair”—a sickness of the self.
- Despair arises when a person refuses to become who they truly are, either by ignoring the self (living superficially) or refusing the self (not accepting who they are before God).
Summary
Failure of authenticity = Living a lie, even if socially acceptable.
It’s not about moral failure, but existential failure—evading your freedom, avoiding responsibility, and denying the self.
