In Search of Genuine

Sometimes I read books or blog-posts by people that seem all conversational (my insertion of the word “all” in the last sentence bears witness to the fact that I’ve acquired this writing style for myself). In general I like to read conversational writing. I find it easy to read and often very interesting. I think it can achieve the goal of making me feel like I’m sitting in their living room chatting late at night.

But I wonder sometimes if there’s another reason that I like it. I think that, when I read that tone, I believe the author to be more genuine, more truthful. I get the feeling that they really think what they’re writing and live what they’re saying.

As I thought about that idea for a while, it occurred to me that the thing I find most attractive in a friend, author, or speaker is honesty. I think that I have an intrinsic ability to know when a person is being truthful about what they think and how they act.

There are tons of words for this: truthful, honest, real, authentic, genuine.

The problem is, genuine, authentic, and real are all buzz words that anyone wanting to be popular attaches themselves to. People are also very good at pretending and acting. And to add one more dimension: People rarely feel comfortable or even know what they really believe to be true. Few people take the time to know.

And so we find ourselves being copy-cats, telling unintended lies; being shadows of ourselves.

We all end up in search of something and someone that’s really real and authentically genuine.

And here I sit, writing about it, when I should just admit it. Yeah, that I pretend too. That I want to be genuine and real and more often then not I fail because I don’t trust myself.

So here’s to having a real sense of ourselves, to looking for authenticity where we can really find it - in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - and here’s to admitting it when we’re faking it.

Cheers, (Totally faking it!)