It’s rare that we connect to another truly authentic human being. Being authentic in today’s society is harder to achieve than ever before. We live in a world of filters, hashtags and self-promotion, it’s difficult to be authentic and make those important connections with others who are truly themselves.
Being truly authentic means, you do not present a mask to society. You are comfortable in the world and happy being who you are. But even if you are working hard at being true to yourself, how do you spot it in others? Surrounding yourself with authentic people can work wonders for your well-being.
Here are the traits to look out for.
1. Reflective
Authentic people do a fair amount of self-reflection. They want to know who they are at their core. They consider life a journey and use every step to learn and grow. The turn missteps into learning opportunities and reflects on what they can do better next time.
2. No Judgements
Because they see mistakes as an opportunity, authentic people rarely judge others by their mistakes. They understand that mistakes are to be learned from and consider them a valuable tool for growth. They surround themselves with humans regardless of color, orientation, national origin, religion or anything else—they embrace without judgments.
3. Long-Term Goals
They tend to be focused on long-term goals. One shortcoming of people who only live for now is that they tend to focus on short gains. That means traits like cheating and lying can bubble up in the pursuit of the “now.” Authentic people now that achievement now is not as important as happiness and well-being in the future. They know how to work and wait patiently for goals to be fully realized.
4. Honorable
Having honor seems like a thing of the past, but authentic people do have values that they live by. In business situations, they rarely cut corners to make a buck. In personal situations, they would never “sell anyone out” through gossip or unreliability. They hold themselves to high standards and that makes them among the most reliable people in the world.
5. Self-Respect
An authentic person spends a lot of time putting work into themselves. Because they value self-reflection, responsibility, and honor, they see value in themselves. They respect themselves and won’t compromise their beliefs. They tend to hold themselves accountable for their actions.
6. Listening
If you are in a conversation with another authentic person you’ll notice something right away, they actually listen when you speak. They aren’t sitting there waiting for you to stop talking just so they can tell their story. They want to know your story. They pay attention to the details and offer insight to problems and conversation.
7. Consistency
Emotional maturity and consistency are the hallmarks of an authentic person. They know what they want and have spent years learning the best methods to achieve goals. Because of that self-reflection and learning from mistakes they remain remarkably consistent in their relationships. They know what it means to be grounded and make a decision that will stick.
Making connections with other authentic people is a rarity in this world. Be on the lookout for people who share your passion for honesty and reliability. It will be one of the most valuable friendships you will ever cultivate.
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About The Author: Born and raised in South Louisiana, Leah Richard is a graduate of Louisiana State University. She worked as a journalist for 13 years and her work has been featured on networks like CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, and CNN International.
Now, Leah enjoys her writing career almost as much as a newsroom career because it keeps her growing professionally and learning as a human being. Plus, there’s a lot less drinking at the end of the day.
