Acting Authentically—Part 2

Thus, for the ancients, astrology spoke about purpose, potential, and self-actualization. It was not—as some people today believe (people who read astrology columns in the media)—about predicting the future, but to be able to describe oneself. In the past it was often a literal form of religion. It was a way to seek certainty—and in today's very uncertain world, it once again offers assurance to some people.

  

Yet many other people today—despite those doubts and dilemmas of our world—regard astrology as not being able to give us the certainty and authenticity we seek. The positions of the planets really have nothing to do with who we are. They are a leftover vestige of our belief that the Earth is at the center of the universe and that the stars and planets which we once believed revolved around us were compelled to send us personal messages that revealed our true selves. In the end, however, astrology can be neither proven nor disproven, because it is a belief—not something that can be tested.

So, if not by astrology, how might we find our authentic self? There are two contrasting ways of seeking authenticity; taking (1) the essentialist path or (2) the existentialist path. Essentialism tells us that we have a destiny to follow; an innate nature that we need to discover—whether that is done through astrology, psychoanalysis, or some other technique. Essentialism tells me that I have a unique and specific character; I have an identity that is essentially me. My job is to discover that true identity and then behave accordingly. I must answer the call of who I am. Otherwise I'm a phony; I'm inauthentic. I'm missing my true calling. So I put effort into discovering that authentic essential self. It's similar to Freud's concept of the unconscious id: I peel the external layers of my masks off, to get at the heart of my true personality, and then answer its call.

The path of existentialism follows a very different route. It suggests that we may instead seek to make our actions congruent with our beliefs and desires—rather than adhere to a core personality. In this manner, existentialism resembles Chinese philosophy, which denies that there is a single authentic self. Rather than seeking to behave as our essential self, our behavior can be attuned to our experiences. We can shape ourselves as we see fit. We can literally create our path as we walk it—and not be limited by a belief in the concept of an immutable, innate self.

Existentialism tells us that we can become all that we can become—without limit. We are not born with an innate nature that we must discover and then adhere to. We have no inner essence to find and then to follow. Rather, we determine our own character and destiny. In fact, any core self we have is not necessarily unique to our essential, singular self, but is universal. All humans share it. Rather than adhere to some notion of our intrinsic self, we have the freedom to choose and become what we want or need to be.

The scary part of existentialism is that we must abandon the path of certainty. We must turn from the essential and certain path of our innate self, wherein we try to follow a prescribed set of behaviors. We instead embark on uncertainty. This route can be filled with anxiety. It can be scary. On this path we are choosing to create ourself as we go along—maybe even shred or shed our old, rigid sense of self. It can be a fearful and very uncomfortable path—but the reward can be discovering an authentic self that has no limit.