Authenticity means transparency, freedom from pretense. The ego is terrified of authenticity, whereas what I call the authentic self is that and recognizes only that. So the ego is terrified of the authentic self. The ego is not interested in substance; it's only interested in image. The only thing ego cares about is how it is perceived. It doesn't care if the image it projects is authentic or not. It is a shapeshifter, an operator, always the opposite of the authentic self's straightness, simplicity, and consistency.
When you understand the completely opposing nature of these forces in your self, you can appreciate the enormous challenge of radical authenticity, on a soul level-the enormous challenge of being the expression of the authentic self, as yourself, in this life. It means the game is up forever. So there is a battle to be fought between the ego's investment in image and falsehood and the authentic self's passion for truth and transparency. Most of us do not have the courage to aspire for true integrity of self and soul. Even those who have deep and powerful experiences of higher states of consciousness, of profound emptiness and intoxicating joy, usually remain terrified of radical authenticity. But if evolution is to occur in a way that is stable and meaningful, radical authenticity is the most important part of the path. The power of your own potential transformation ultimately rests on how deeply authentic you are capable of being, at a soul level, as a human being. Radical authenticity is the ultimate threat to falsehood.
Authenticity means transparency, freedom from pretense. The ego is terrified of authenticity, whereas what I call the authentic self is that and recognizes only that. So the ego is terrified of the authentic self. The ego is not interested in substance; it's only interested in image. The only thing ego cares about is how it is perceived. It doesn't care if the image it projects is authentic or not. It is a shapeshifter, an operator, always the opposite of the authentic self's straightness, simplicity, and consistency.
When you understand the completely opposing nature of these forces in your self, you can appreciate the enormous challenge of radical authenticity, on a soul level-the enormous challenge of being the expression of the authentic self, as yourself, in this life. It means the game is up forever. So there is a battle to be fought between the ego's investment in image and falsehood and the authentic self's passion for truth and transparency. Most of us do not have the courage to aspire for true integrity of self and soul. Even those who have deep and powerful experiences of higher states of consciousness, of profound emptiness and intoxicating joy, usually remain terrified of radical authenticity. But if evolution is to occur in a way that is stable and meaningful, radical authenticity is the most important part of the path. The power of your own potential transformation ultimately rests on how deeply authentic you are capable of being, at a soul level, as a human being. Radical authenticity is the ultimate threat to falsehood.
Andrew Cohen
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