An authentic person is defined as someone who isn’t afraid to be true to who they are, including their personality, values, and principles in life. They don’t bother compromising the entirety of who they are just for the comfort of others.
Rather, an authentic person still sticks to who they are regardless of what others think of them. They also treasure the people who stay in their life because they know these people love them exactly for who they are. In this article, we’ll be discussing the 11 characteristics an authentic person has.
What It Means To Be An Authentic Person
An authentic person doesn’t just mean having the integrity to stay exactly are you are, but this also means that you don’t bother hiding parts of yourself to others.
If you’re someone that’s authentic, this means not being afraid to stand up for everything you believe in, including your beliefs and morals.
You don’t need the approval of others, but you’re more afraid to compromise the essence of who you are for the comfort of everyone else. This also means speaking your voice when necessary and standing your ground.
Even in a world trying to make you compromise who you are, being authentic means you stay grounded in yourself. More importantly, it also means you have the self-awareness to look inward and know who you truly are.
11 Characteristics of An Authentic Person
1. They don’t bother with material objects
When you’re authentic, you don’t bother finding meaning or substance in superficial objects because you know they only provide temporary happiness.
These people would much rather value the things that can’t be bought with money like experiences and friendships.
This also means they don’t judge others based on the material objects they have as you know it’s only a symbol for status or wealth.
2. They value experiences
They’re aware that experiences – both the good and bad – are how they can grow and learn from those experiences. They value all kinds of experiences, even the ones that have the most uncertainty in them.
They’re open to accepting everything that life throws in their way and even if it turned out to be a negative experience, they know they can learn from it.
3. They listen to others
Being authentic means they don’t spend time listening to people just to respond, but they genuinely listen to everything they have to say.
They’re authentic enough to want to contribute something substantial to the conversation in whatever manner possible, and they know they can’t do that with poor listening skills.
4. They’re not afraid to express themselves
Whether it’s thoughts or emotions, they’re not afraid of expressing what they feel or think if it means they’re being true to who they are.
As long as they’re not intentionally hurting anyone, they don’t bother pretending to believe something they don’t or feel something they don’t.
This also makes them good in certain relationships as they don’t bother saying things they don’t mean.
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5. They’re not a people pleaser
Someone who’s classified as a people pleaser is the exact opposite of authentic because they do everything so people will like them more.
As an authentic individual, this won’t do for you as you already know that you can’t please everyone. Rather, you stay grateful for the few people who end up appreciating your true self.
6. They value giving love
An authentic person doesn’t bother hardening their heart for the sake of appearing strong and invincible as they know that those who remain authentic even in love are far stronger.
They find value and purpose and giving what they can to others and being of help, especially in times of need. They love encouraging and motivating people in the right direction.
7. They love themselves
You can’t stay true to who you are if you don’t love yourself enough because it will become an impossible struggle for you.
Those who love themselves are naturally authentic because they don’t feel the need to hide who they are and how they feel from others.
They know their value and worth, and they refuse to comprise that for others.
8. They see and acknowledge their faults
An authentic person knows that they aren’t perfect and they don’t try to hide that realization.
If they made a mistake or hurt someone they love, they don’t hesitate to acknowledge their mistakes and own up to their mistakes.
They’re willing to swallow their pride or ego if it means taking account of their own wrongdoing.
9. They embrace their uniqueness
Authentic people know that each person is unique and not everyone will see things in the same wavelength.
With this being said, they don’t see themselves as the only correct point of view and they don’t see things as either black or white.
10. They stick to their morals and values
If there’s something authentic people strongly believe in, they don’t stop believing in that even when the rest of the world opposes their belief.
Rather, they stay grounded in their principles because they know that without them, they’d lose who they are completely. This also means they don’t bother to change for someone else.
11. They listen to their inner voice
They have the mental capacity to listen to their inner voice amidst the noise and chatter in their minds. This makes them act in the right direction with a balance of intuition and logic.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article was able to shed insight into everything you needed to know about the characteristics of an authentic person. If there’s something you can incorporate in your life, let it be authenticity because there’s nothing better than someone who’s real and honest about themselves.
The world will constantly break you down and change into a version of yourself you no longer recognize, but staying authentic to who you are is one of the best qualities you can find in someone because this means they’re real enough to show you both their strengths and flaws.