It's difficult to be oneself in a world where people expect perfection, as much as being real comes with peace, a lot of people desire happiness in being someone else. Authentic in the English dictionary is defined as
Conforming to reality and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief
To be authentic is to conform(squeeze, shape into) reality and by doing so, one becomes worthy of trust, reliance and belief, and this is because he has not compromised who he is for something else. The world is tough, a lot of people say, and they believe the route out of hardship is becoming someone or something else. We've heard a lot about people who are not content with their nature, they either go for breast enlargement or butt enlargement, some go as far as changing their names to gain certain favor. The problem with inauthenticity is that one keeps paying a huge prize to keep being who they claim to be.
Authenticity means to be genuine, and real. This also can be discussed in the area of product. It costs more to maintain a product that is fake, most times it doesn't last long. I recall a time I kept changing belts every three months because I was buying the fake ones at a cheaper amount. I felt I was being smart until I realized I've spent more money in a short time , much more than I would have if I had gone for the authentic one. The important thing about authenticity is that it makes one trustworthy. As long as the worth feels like only perfectionists gain higher advantages, people actually appreciate being you and real. People want something real and that's one reason why plagiarism is frowned upon on most platforms.
Authenticity helps us live a simple life, yet, makes us stand out among many others. By embracing authenticity, we embrace our reality, thus, being us and this helps us function maximally. An authentic man is a man with no mask, whoever you see on the outside is that which you'll see on the inside. It takes no stress, and struggles to be real, one function flawlessly with no effort.