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EdsonSandovalFirstEssay 6 - 05 Jun 2024 - Main.EbenMoglen
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Authenticity in an Age of Lies and Deception | | | The Limits of Authenticity in Self-Portrayal
I am always playing roles. A man who is a judge by day and loving father by night is a representation of multiple personalities, painting a careful image of how he wishes to be portrayed through the most delicate brushstrokes. In most circumstances, the multiplicity of personality is not deception, rather it is a curation of beliefs, attitudes, and interactions used to paint a picture in the minds of others. While this specific picture may be guided with a social benefit in mind, it is limited as the image may only be completed through the other party's volition. After all, the same judge who comes home to his wife and kids after a long day just sentenced a man to life in prison. To his children, he resembles happiness and warmth. To the convicted, he represents hatred and poor judgment.
“Painting” myself in the eyes of others is an art form in and of itself. While I try to be perceived favorably by showing respect, I am only able to define myself in the eyes of others to a certain extent. Thus, authenticity is limited as the picture is completed by the inherent opinions and possible biases of others. In this way, my true thoughts and true feelings are inherently limited. While my definition of authenticity has shifted towards true thoughts that lie behind a wall of fear, this may not apply to others. Different upbringings, inherent privileges, or other factors may limit any efforts I make to paint my desired picture. Nonetheless, I see beauty in this social dynamic, as different forms of thought provide increased opportunities for growth and understanding. While my personal definition of authenticity may change once again, I look forward to growth, pushing forward my theory of social action to make a positive impact in the lives of others. | |
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Yes, this seems to me to have accomplished for you what I hoped such a draft would. Another edit to tighten and limit repetition would improve the essay further from a technical point of view, but the intellectual benefit, to you particularly, has already accrued. Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley has a conception of authenticity that is remarkably resonant with yours. That a sociopath could is not a mark against or a criticism of your position: an actor with a theory of social action can be both spooky and dangerous, as Judge Day understood. You have used this opportunity to enrich your grasp of both your powers and your limitations. That's a profound and valuable step. You can see already how it will help you go on.
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EdsonSandovalFirstEssay 3 - 18 May 2024 - Main.EdsonSandoval
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< | It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted. | | | Authenticity in an Age of Lies and Deception | |
<
< | -- By EdsonSandoval - 23 Feb 2024
Plato’s allegory of the cave provides a foundational understanding of the concept of reality. The symbolic representation of Plato’s writings reflects our perception of the world around us as we fail to see what makes a product authentic and what authenticity means. In the allegory of the cave, prisoners face a wall with their backs turned to a bridge with a fire on its opposite end. As people and items cross the bridge, the reflection of the items become the prisoners’ perceptions of reality, leading to the inability to understand what the actual item is. These faulted perceptions of reality are applicable to society as a whole, given our faulted perception of the world around us. This begs two questions: What is an authentic product? What makes an authentic person? The never-ending need for self-validation and social acceptance has led to a flawed perception of reality. In its simplest form, authenticity is known to be the true form of a product or person, consistent with our expectations and values. We can split the concept into three categories: authenticity in products, authenticity in people, and authenticity in our social relationships.
Our constant search for authenticity in the products we use creates a false perception of reality, as we prioritize our need to be perceived favorably by our peers. Using clothing products as an example, there is very little that differentiates a thousand-dollar coat from a hundred-dollar coat. Nonetheless, shopping in Soho with a Canada Goose coat in comparison to a no-brand article of clothing brings about a vastly different perception in your appearance and your social status. We are duped into believing that purchasing a Canada Goose product is necessary, as you are buying into a high-quality product and brand. Tools such as branding, marketing, and social media are to blame as large corporations work diligently to lead us to believe that we need to spend our monthly income on a jacket to provide an inherent social value rather than an effective product. This very concept is applicable in a variety of fields. We place an inherent value on things that ultimately have minimal significance, as we are influenced by the social understandings that large corporations have worked so hard to create.
We have become puppets to large corporations, affected by their diligent efforts to influence our thoughts and actions. Large corporations work extensively to alter our form of thought, profiting upon exclusivity and building their social status. Nike’s $3.6 billion annual loss from counterfeit products leads to increased efforts to protect their physical and intellectual property. We are led to believe that these products provide an inherently different value from those that are produced in the very same factory. This is simply false. The fact that counterfeit products come from the same factories as the authentic ones highlights the flawed form of thought that stems from our constant search for authenticity. Growing up reselling sneakers and clothing, I spent a significant amount of time learning the intricate details that differentiate an authentic product from an unauthentic product. The difference between the two products is minimal. A single missing stitch or a slight discoloration can be the difference between the two products. Why is it that we place such a strong emphasis on the authenticity of the product?
My time in this class has allowed me to expand my mind, as I begin to question my social understanding in a way that I used to be afraid to confront. The search for authenticity in our products is reflective of the search for authenticity in people and social relationships. Do we really value our relationships with certain people, or do we merely maintain them for an inherent benefit? Authenticity in the people we meet is dependent upon the initial nature of our relationships. Think about the very first time that you meet someone. The very first meeting with that person plays a significant role in determining the nature of your relationship moving forward. My time in law school and in my professional career has led me to understand that the transactional nature of the legal profession creates an environment in which people’s intentions remain obscure. Why is it that we must remain obscure in our intentions and true thoughts? Why are we afraid to say what we really think? The truth is that we are afraid of the social repercussions that may result from being authentic with the people we interact with. The drawbacks of the social repercussions of saying what we truly believe outweigh the benefits. Our discussions in lecture make it clear that this remains apparent now more than ever. Society would benefit immensely if there was more transparency and authenticity in our actions. We must remain clear in our intentions and be confident calling bullshit on inauthenticity. Adding on, our social relationships determine the extent to which we are able to succeed in our daily lives. The ability to communicate effectively with others is an evolutionary trait, as only the species successful in maintaining effective communications have stood the test of time. Therefore, authenticity in communication is essential. As in the products we use and the personal relationships we maintain authenticity immensely benefits human sociability.
Identifying authenticity in the products we use, people we meet, and social connections we maintain in an inherently beneficial practice. Our constant search for authenticity creates a false perception of reality. Breaking from this understanding and shifting towards transparency will benefit society by breaking from the flawed perception that contributes to lies and deception.
Plato is just a brand you stuck to the top of this draft, to make you look better. You make no actual use of the philosophy; it's just an extended metaphor. You could get rid of it, could you not, without loss? Why not be yourself, rather than pretending? | >
> | -- By EdsonSandoval - 18 May 2024 | | | | |
<
< | Who is this "we" of yours? It certainly doesn't include me. I wear the same black, unlabeled, undifferentiated clothes to every class precisely in order to remove all those markers, to leave only the words and the music to stand with the ideas. That's my theatrical costume in this performance. If I go to do lawyers' work, whether in Silicon Valley, or Brussels, or Mumbai, or Shenzhen, as well as New York or Washington, I wear one or another multi-thousand dollar custom-made suit, in which every detail from fabric choice to buttonholes, cufflinks to suspenders, is meant to communicate something to the knowledgeful eye. Am I "authentic" in one costume, but not in another? We cannot know, because "authentic," a word you constantly use, you do not define. | >
> | Introduction
What does it mean to be authentic? Why not be yourself rather than pretending? I have come to define authenticity as a mindset which solely exists within the confines of one’s inner-conscience. The true thoughts, meanings, and uninfluenced opinions that lie behind a wall of fear, anxiety, and social implications of saying what you truly believe. Fear leads to a diversification of personas, as I allow myself to be perceived differently by my family, peers, and professors. I once perceived authenticity to be an inclusive term, through an expression of a uniform definition. Upon reflection, I now realize that my previous expression of “we” served as a failed attempt to define authenticity as a common trait, which is inherently false. The hypocrisy is thus clear, as my previous interpretation of “authenticity” was influenced by my desire to conform to other ideals, abandoning the very premise of this essay. | | | | |
<
< | Your underlying claim is that representation is anxiety, as though the only point in the making of our art is not to be thought less artful than someone else. But every poem is a lie, if that's the way you want to read. Where is the Goffman who Leff calls upon? We all play roles in society: our costume and makeup, our lines, the personality states we take on aren't lies and deceptions, they are life. Reducing complexity to inauthenticity, assessing everything we carry as an expression of fundamental insecurity, leaves us blinded by the light and yearning for the comforting darkness of the womb. Isn't that what the story from which you started is actually about? | >
> | My Early Understanding of Authenticity
My early understanding of authenticity was limited to authenticity in representation. Unable to obtain legal work authorization, I supported my family by reselling popular sneakers and clothing. Representation quickly became anxiety, as my livelihood relied upon my ability to distinguish authentic products. If I were to fail in my purpose, my credibility and income would be affected as clients did not want to purchase from a non-trusted source. Upon reflection, I now realize that authenticity is an individualistic matter, as what may be significant to some serves no purpose to others. In the same way that I define authenticity as the ability to share my honest thoughts without fear, others do not share this feeling. The desire to be perceived in a specific manner contributed to my ability to make money. Yet, was this inherently right? It depends on whether you ask Chinese factory workers earning inequitable wages or if you asked the corporations who sold these products for a 200% markup. | | | | |
<
< | Let's try a draft in which there is no fictitious "we," only the actual, multiple, conflicted "I." Let's see if you can find in yourself the person not "curating" his Instagram, and write from his point of view about what it means to be an actor with a theory of social action. You will be astounded at how much better the companionship of those persons can make you feel.
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> | My Developing Understanding
I have grown significantly in the past year. From starting law school at twenty-one to submitting my last final during a state of political turmoil, I have become an increasingly open and authentic individual. I quickly realized that I must be authentic with myself before being authentic with others. This was a challenging process, as I weighed my inherent fears with my growing desire to break free from these restraints. Formerly guided by fear of social implications, I am proud to have self-identified to others, straying away from the hypocrisy which previously guided my actions.
The ability to be an actor with a theory of social action requires freedom of expression. Unfortunately, such freedom of expression is impossible to attain without first abolishing the inherent fear of social implications that arise from speaking your mind. My theory of social action revolves around advocating for the undocumented student. Undocumented and DACA-mented students often live in fear that sharing their legal status may lead to tangible consequences for themselves or their families. The fear of deportation, loss of opportunities, and feelings of political inferiority have held me back from speaking my mind. I am accustomed to the experience of being denied opportunities because of my status, yet I did not want to make matters worse by speaking my mind. This year, I have worked toward my goal of being the change I want to see through my involvement in the Davis Polk Leadership Initiative. My project revolved around establishing a community for undocumented students at Columbia. Upon reflection during my year-end presentation, I am proud to have built a support system for these students at Columbia and am looking forward to advancing it next year. While this required abandoning my previous definition of authenticity, my ability to fulfill my purpose of social action becomes facilitated by adhering to new principles. I am sure that my identity may bring about preconceived notions. Yet, the thoughts or words of others have no effect on my actions as I realize that I do not give a fuck what they think. I am proud to make efforts towards being the change I want to see in the world, adhering to my newfound definition of authenticity. | | |
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> | The Limits of Authenticity in Self-Portrayal
I am always playing roles. A man who is a judge by day and loving father by night is a representation of multiple personalities, painting a careful image of how he wishes to be portrayed through the most delicate brushstrokes. In most circumstances, the multiplicity of personality is not deception, rather it is a curation of beliefs, attitudes, and interactions used to paint a picture in the minds of others. While this specific picture may be guided with a social benefit in mind, it is limited as the image may only be completed through the other party's volition. After all, the same judge who comes home to his wife and kids after a long day just sentenced a man to life in prison. To his children, he resembles happiness and warmth. To the convicted, he represents hatred and poor judgment.
“Painting” myself in the eyes of others is an art form in and of itself. While I try to be perceived favorably by showing respect, I am only able to define myself in the eyes of others to a certain extent. Thus, authenticity is limited as the picture is completed by the inherent opinions and possible biases of others. In this way, my true thoughts and true feelings are inherently limited. While my definition of authenticity has shifted towards true thoughts that lie behind a wall of fear, this may not apply to others. Different upbringings, inherent privileges, or other factors may limit any efforts I make to paint my desired picture. Nonetheless, I see beauty in this social dynamic, as different forms of thought provide increased opportunities for growth and understanding. While my personal definition of authenticity may change once again, I look forward to growth, pushing forward my theory of social action to make a positive impact in the lives of others. |
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EdsonSandovalFirstEssay 2 - 24 Mar 2024 - Main.EbenMoglen
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="FirstEssay" |
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It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted. | | | My time in this class has allowed me to expand my mind, as I begin to question my social understanding in a way that I used to be afraid to confront. The search for authenticity in our products is reflective of the search for authenticity in people and social relationships. Do we really value our relationships with certain people, or do we merely maintain them for an inherent benefit? Authenticity in the people we meet is dependent upon the initial nature of our relationships. Think about the very first time that you meet someone. The very first meeting with that person plays a significant role in determining the nature of your relationship moving forward. My time in law school and in my professional career has led me to understand that the transactional nature of the legal profession creates an environment in which people’s intentions remain obscure. Why is it that we must remain obscure in our intentions and true thoughts? Why are we afraid to say what we really think? The truth is that we are afraid of the social repercussions that may result from being authentic with the people we interact with. The drawbacks of the social repercussions of saying what we truly believe outweigh the benefits. Our discussions in lecture make it clear that this remains apparent now more than ever. Society would benefit immensely if there was more transparency and authenticity in our actions. We must remain clear in our intentions and be confident calling bullshit on inauthenticity. Adding on, our social relationships determine the extent to which we are able to succeed in our daily lives. The ability to communicate effectively with others is an evolutionary trait, as only the species successful in maintaining effective communications have stood the test of time. Therefore, authenticity in communication is essential. As in the products we use and the personal relationships we maintain authenticity immensely benefits human sociability.
Identifying authenticity in the products we use, people we meet, and social connections we maintain in an inherently beneficial practice. Our constant search for authenticity creates a false perception of reality. Breaking from this understanding and shifting towards transparency will benefit society by breaking from the flawed perception that contributes to lies and deception. | |
>
> |
Plato is just a brand you stuck to the top of this draft, to make you look better. You make no actual use of the philosophy; it's just an extended metaphor. You could get rid of it, could you not, without loss? Why not be yourself, rather than pretending?
Who is this "we" of yours? It certainly doesn't include me. I wear the same black, unlabeled, undifferentiated clothes to every class precisely in order to remove all those markers, to leave only the words and the music to stand with the ideas. That's my theatrical costume in this performance. If I go to do lawyers' work, whether in Silicon Valley, or Brussels, or Mumbai, or Shenzhen, as well as New York or Washington, I wear one or another multi-thousand dollar custom-made suit, in which every detail from fabric choice to buttonholes, cufflinks to suspenders, is meant to communicate something to the knowledgeful eye. Am I "authentic" in one costume, but not in another? We cannot know, because "authentic," a word you constantly use, you do not define.
Your underlying claim is that representation is anxiety, as though the only point in the making of our art is not to be thought less artful than someone else. But every poem is a lie, if that's the way you want to read. Where is the Goffman who Leff calls upon? We all play roles in society: our costume and makeup, our lines, the personality states we take on aren't lies and deceptions, they are life. Reducing complexity to inauthenticity, assessing everything we carry as an expression of fundamental insecurity, leaves us blinded by the light and yearning for the comforting darkness of the womb. Isn't that what the story from which you started is actually about?
Let's try a draft in which there is no fictitious "we," only the actual, multiple, conflicted "I." Let's see if you can find in yourself the person not "curating" his Instagram, and write from his point of view about what it means to be an actor with a theory of social action. You will be astounded at how much better the companionship of those persons can make you feel.
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EdsonSandovalFirstEssay 1 - 23 Feb 2024 - Main.EdsonSandoval
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="FirstEssay" |
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It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted.
Authenticity in an Age of Lies and Deception
-- By EdsonSandoval - 23 Feb 2024
Plato’s allegory of the cave provides a foundational understanding of the concept of reality. The symbolic representation of Plato’s writings reflects our perception of the world around us as we fail to see what makes a product authentic and what authenticity means. In the allegory of the cave, prisoners face a wall with their backs turned to a bridge with a fire on its opposite end. As people and items cross the bridge, the reflection of the items become the prisoners’ perceptions of reality, leading to the inability to understand what the actual item is. These faulted perceptions of reality are applicable to society as a whole, given our faulted perception of the world around us. This begs two questions: What is an authentic product? What makes an authentic person? The never-ending need for self-validation and social acceptance has led to a flawed perception of reality. In its simplest form, authenticity is known to be the true form of a product or person, consistent with our expectations and values. We can split the concept into three categories: authenticity in products, authenticity in people, and authenticity in our social relationships.
Our constant search for authenticity in the products we use creates a false perception of reality, as we prioritize our need to be perceived favorably by our peers. Using clothing products as an example, there is very little that differentiates a thousand-dollar coat from a hundred-dollar coat. Nonetheless, shopping in Soho with a Canada Goose coat in comparison to a no-brand article of clothing brings about a vastly different perception in your appearance and your social status. We are duped into believing that purchasing a Canada Goose product is necessary, as you are buying into a high-quality product and brand. Tools such as branding, marketing, and social media are to blame as large corporations work diligently to lead us to believe that we need to spend our monthly income on a jacket to provide an inherent social value rather than an effective product. This very concept is applicable in a variety of fields. We place an inherent value on things that ultimately have minimal significance, as we are influenced by the social understandings that large corporations have worked so hard to create.
We have become puppets to large corporations, affected by their diligent efforts to influence our thoughts and actions. Large corporations work extensively to alter our form of thought, profiting upon exclusivity and building their social status. Nike’s $3.6 billion annual loss from counterfeit products leads to increased efforts to protect their physical and intellectual property. We are led to believe that these products provide an inherently different value from those that are produced in the very same factory. This is simply false. The fact that counterfeit products come from the same factories as the authentic ones highlights the flawed form of thought that stems from our constant search for authenticity. Growing up reselling sneakers and clothing, I spent a significant amount of time learning the intricate details that differentiate an authentic product from an unauthentic product. The difference between the two products is minimal. A single missing stitch or a slight discoloration can be the difference between the two products. Why is it that we place such a strong emphasis on the authenticity of the product?
My time in this class has allowed me to expand my mind, as I begin to question my social understanding in a way that I used to be afraid to confront. The search for authenticity in our products is reflective of the search for authenticity in people and social relationships. Do we really value our relationships with certain people, or do we merely maintain them for an inherent benefit? Authenticity in the people we meet is dependent upon the initial nature of our relationships. Think about the very first time that you meet someone. The very first meeting with that person plays a significant role in determining the nature of your relationship moving forward. My time in law school and in my professional career has led me to understand that the transactional nature of the legal profession creates an environment in which people’s intentions remain obscure. Why is it that we must remain obscure in our intentions and true thoughts? Why are we afraid to say what we really think? The truth is that we are afraid of the social repercussions that may result from being authentic with the people we interact with. The drawbacks of the social repercussions of saying what we truly believe outweigh the benefits. Our discussions in lecture make it clear that this remains apparent now more than ever. Society would benefit immensely if there was more transparency and authenticity in our actions. We must remain clear in our intentions and be confident calling bullshit on inauthenticity. Adding on, our social relationships determine the extent to which we are able to succeed in our daily lives. The ability to communicate effectively with others is an evolutionary trait, as only the species successful in maintaining effective communications have stood the test of time. Therefore, authenticity in communication is essential. As in the products we use and the personal relationships we maintain authenticity immensely benefits human sociability.
Identifying authenticity in the products we use, people we meet, and social connections we maintain in an inherently beneficial practice. Our constant search for authenticity creates a false perception of reality. Breaking from this understanding and shifting towards transparency will benefit society by breaking from the flawed perception that contributes to lies and deception. |
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