There Is No One Authentic Self

"Fake it till you make it" gets one thing wrong: new behaviour feels fake because it's unfamiliar, not because it's inauthentic. That awkwardness when you try something new isn't fraudulence, it's neuroplasticity doing its job.

Following on from last week's identity episode, Rebecca challenges the idea that there's one authentic self you're supposed to find, and David asks what we're actually faking when we fake it (spoiler: confidence, because confidence is currency). Along the way: authenticity used as a hall pass for rude behaviour, why a regulated nervous system comes before alignment, oversharing as a masking mechanism, and the one authenticity check no one else can run for you: your intention.