Authenticity is a buzzword that’s everywhere, but what does it really mean? We hear it thrown around in conversations about leadership, creativity, personal development, and especially in self-help spaces. Living an authentic authentic life is what we might all aspire to.

In this quick overview, we explore how we can move toward a more authentic existence by using the lens of psychology, specifically the work of Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss psychiatrist of the 20th century.

The Many Facets of Authenticity

At its core, authenticity is about congruence between who we are, what we say we value, and how we live. It’s not just about telling the truth or being transparent. It’s about living in alignment with your values and integrating parts of yourself that you may not even know exist. This brings us to Carl Jung, whose work on the psyche provides a profound framework for understanding how we can become more authentic.

Jung believed that to achieve greater authenticity, we must delve into the unconscious realm — parts of ourselves that we might not even be aware of. By exploring this inner territory, we can begin to integrate the different aspects of our personality, rather than letting them control us unconsciously.

The Psyche: Where Authenticity Begins

Jung described the human psyche as encompassing both the conscious and unconscious aspects of ourselves. The ego, the part of us that we’re most familiar with, regulates everything we are aware of and often dictates our actions. But the ego is limited to conscious awareness. To live authentically, we have to move beyond the ego and delve into our unconscious mind.

Jung divided the unconscious into two layers: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious consists of hidden emotions, forgotten memories, and repressed thoughts — essentially, everything we’ve buried. The collective unconscious, on the other hand, contains universal mental concepts known as archetypes, shared by all humans.

The Archetypes: Unlocking Your Inner World

To truly become more authentic, Jung believed we must confront and integrate four key archetypes: the persona, the shadow, the anima or animus, and the self.

1. The Persona: Your Social Mask

The persona is essentially the mask we wear in different social situations. It’s the face we show the world, shaped by societal expectations and norms. It’s not inherently bad — in fact, it’s a necessary part of interacting with others. But problems arise when we over-identify with our persona, losing touch with who we really are.

Take, for example, a salesperson who always presents themselves as friendly and enthusiastic, even when they’re having a bad day. This persona helps them succeed in their job, but if they over-identify with it, they might lose sight of their true emotions, leading to burnout.

The key to authenticity is not to eliminate the persona but to make it more flexible. By becoming aware of when we’re wearing a mask and understanding why we’re doing it, we can start to integrate our true selves into our social interactions.

2. The Shadow: The Parts You Hide

The shadow represents the parts of ourselves that we don’t like — the traits we suppress because we think they’re undesirable. These might include emotions like anger, selfishness, or insecurity. The more we repress these parts of ourselves, the more they control us unconsciously.

Jung famously said, “What you resist, persists.” By ignoring our shadow, we allow it to manifest in ways that are often harmful, like lashing out in anger or projecting our insecurities onto others. The path to authenticity involves confronting and integrating these darker aspects of ourselves, rather than pushing them away.

3. The Anima/Animus: Embracing the Opposite Gender Within

According to Jung, we all have both masculine and feminine qualities within us. For men, this inner feminine is called the anima; for women, it’s the animus. These contra-gender traits often go ignored because society tells us that men should act one way and women another.

Suppressing these qualities doesn’t make them disappear — it just distorts them. A man who represses his anima might struggle to express his emotions, while a woman who ignores her animus might find it difficult to assert herself. Authenticity comes from embracing these aspects of ourselves and integrating them into our personality.

4. The Self: The Whole of Who You Are

The self, according to Jung, is the totality of who we are — it’s both our conscious and unconscious mind. The self represents wholeness and integration, the ultimate goal of individuation. To be authentic, we must strive to unify all the parts of ourselves, not just the ones we like or are comfortable with.

Jung often used the symbol of the circle, or mandala, to represent the self. The ego is at the center, but the self is the whole circle — the conscious and the unconscious together.

The Journey to Authenticity: Individuation

Jung called the process of becoming more authentic “individuation.” It’s the journey of integrating the different parts of ourselves — the ego, persona, shadow, anima/animus, and self — so that we can live in congruence with our true values.

This journey is not easy. It involves confronting uncomfortable truths about ourselves and bringing unconscious elements into the light. But the rewards are immense. By knowing ourselves more fully, we can live more freely and authentically.

How to Begin Your Own Journey

So, how do you start this process of individuation? Here are a few steps to guide you:

1. Acknowledge Your Persona: Start by becoming more aware of the masks you wear in different social situations. Ask yourself why you feel the need to put them on, and consider if they are serving you or hindering your growth.

2. Explore Your Shadow: Take note of the traits or emotions you tend to suppress or avoid. Journaling can be a helpful way to identify these hidden parts of yourself. Once you’ve identified them, try to accept them rather than push them away.

3. Embrace Your Anima/Animus: Recognize the qualities within you that might be seen as “feminine” or “masculine,” depending on your gender. Are you repressing any of these traits due to societal expectations? What would happen if you embraced them?

4. Work Toward Integration: The ultimate goal is to integrate all these parts of yourself into a cohesive whole. This doesn’t happen overnight — it’s a lifelong process. But with time and self-reflection, you can begin to live a life that is more aligned with who you truly are.

Takeaway

Living authentically is not about eliminating the ego or getting rid of the parts of yourself you don’t like. It’s about integrating those parts, understanding them, and bringing them into harmony with your conscious self. It’s a process of individuation — a lifelong journey of becoming who you truly are.

As you move forward, remember that authenticity is not about perfection. It’s about honesty, self-awareness, and the willingness to grow. So, start where you are, embrace the process, and take steps toward living a more authentic, fulfilling life.