"Fake it till you make it" gets one thing wrong: new behaviour feels fake because it's unfamiliar, not because it's inauthentic. That awkwardness when you try something new isn't fraudulence, it's neuroplasticity doing its job.
Following on from last week's identity episode, Rebecca challenges the idea that there's one authentic self you're supposed to find, and David asks what we're actually faking when we fake it (spoiler: confidence, because confidence is currency). Along the way: authenticity used as a hall pass for rude behaviour, why a regulated nervous system comes before alignment, oversharing as a masking mechanism, and the one authenticity check no one else can run for you: your intention.
(03:24) "I'm just expressing my truth": the hall pass problem
(03:42) There is no single authentic self
(08:39) Regulate first, then find what's aligned
(10:35) "Fake it till you make it": debunked
(12:35) What we're really faking is confidence
(17:51) Called to share vs oversharing
(19:58) Intention: the real authenticity check
Dr Rebecca Chabot:
https://drrebeccachabot.com | https://purewellnesstasmania.com
David Masterton:
https://158lab.com.au
Wellness for Nerds shares general information and personal experience. It is not individual medical or mental-health advice.