Authenticity

Authenticity is the catchword of the hour. Politicians and private individuals, novels and restaurants - all want to be authentic and be perceived as such by their voters, fellow human beings, readers and customers. But the collective hunt for authenticity blinds us to its dark sides. Today, coaches also teach "authentic communication" to executives. But do we really want to experience our bosses and ministers undisguised - or do we prefer professionalism? If we are constantly searching for our "true self", where is the desire for change and the ambivalences of life? And if we only ever refer to our own "authentic" culture, don't we close ourselves off to the foreign? Erik Schilling traces the rise of the cult of authenticity in society and culture and shows that the pursuit of authenticity leads not only to boring art, amateur politicians and unhappy people, but also to intolerance and division.