Put ‘authenticity’ into YouTube and an amazing world scrolls down forever. Many of these talking heads are, of course, American; most are busking for their own tiny store-front churches and want to tell you how to be a better person if you sign up. The majority of them are offering all-purpose help to get your mind–body–spirit alignment nicely set up through authenticity. Others are saying, if you’re authentic – and here’s how – you can be a better leader, as in CEO, and make masses more money. And other, more gym-rat types, are telling men how to be authentic and charm women into bed: ‘Show her a little of your vulnerability.’ And then there’s a fascinating sub-set for high-spending micro-connoisseurs, explaining how to spot fakes of everything from mid-century modern designer furniture to Prada bags and socially significant sunglasses.

I have to say some of these people look or sound a teensy bit inauthentic to me. A lot of the women are heavily cosmeticised and the men have very contrived dental configurations and disingenuous little tropes, bits of business with all that ‘hey guys’ stuff. There are open-neck shirts, stubble and tees everywhere, or the occasional tie pulled down to show a relaxed, unscripted moment. But the most inauthentic part is their message. One – consciousmatrix.com – is offering an on-the-spot authenticity formula for strengthening your personal whatever. There’s a routine. This guy, more designer stubble, white tee under dark shirt – does warm-up exercises:

Just feel the energy coming into your hands – this is
who I am right now. You’re planning your cosmic order
… this is who I am. Now I hold out the left hand – the
receiving hand. This is our authentic selves, this is who
we are. Feel this beautiful energy.

He goes on like that for twenty-four minutes! What’s the deal here?