Why it Pays to Be Authentic With People You Don’t Know
Authenticity is all the rage right now. Which is funny, since people should be authentic all the time anyway.
To understand why we should be authentic with strangers, first we must understand why authenticity is important to begin with.
One of the Merriam-Webster definitions of “authentic” is “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character; is sincere and authentic with no pretensions.”
How I interpret this:
- Not lying to yourself.
- Treating yourself with respect.
- Building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down.
- Loving yourself.
- Loving others.
- Admitting our mistakes and failures to ourselves, and those we trust to support us.
- Not pretending to be someone we’re not.
- Not sacrificing your personality, spirit, or character based on who someone else thinks you should be.
- Remembering that even the most successful person once started as a beginner.
- Remembering that no one else knows you as well as you know yourself.
- Standing firm with your values despite what others might think.
Can you think now why it might be important to be authentic with people we don’t know?
We’ve all heard the stories of people being rude to someone on their commute and ending up in that person’s office for the interview they were rushing to.
It’s kind of the underlying premise of Undercover Bosses, isn’t it?
We treat those above us — those with authority and power — with more respect than some Joe-Schmoe we may run into on the subway.
It might sound like common sense — treat others kindly. Don’t pretend you like avocado toast if you hate avocados or hate toast.
But we all do this at some point.
We “fake it ‘till we make it”. And in some cases, that’s all right to do — as long as we’re faking confidence and not actual skills or facts about ourselves.
Exhibiting authenticity can bring opportunities you may not have realized existed.
As of this writing (August 2018), I’m in the process of setting up a virtual assistant side business.
In doing so, I’m taking an online course learning how to actually become a VA, and at every step of the way the instructor has the students being authentic and taking action.
With friends, with family, with acquaintances.
And being authentic, open, and a little vulnerable opened up the opportunity to have one of my author friends be my first client.
Can you imagine how this might play out with people you don’t know?
Not asking them for anything, but getting their opinion even if you don’t know them very well? People love to share their opinions, even when they’re not requested.
William Butler Yeats said it best:
“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t met yet.”
So open up a little more. Let the glitter and sunshine pour into your daily lives. A simple word of kindness could make someone’s day or open some doors.
