Truly Authentic.

I was at a meeting yesterday where one of my friends, a good English Athiest, produced this line in the context of a discussion of Romantic ANtipsychiatry, which sees that the experience of the mad as somehow more outhentic than that of society.

The more I think about this, the more I think he is right, but for the wrong reasons. No person is completely authentic in their desires — you could argue that a psychopath or two-year old are “pure” in their greed or hatred, but no mature person has truly mixed feelings. We modify what we think or feel, and how we act, to deal with others.

A simple example. Stolen from Traditional Christianity… and about women at work from an engineering mother. Dressing fashionably & stylishly requires a brain and taste: you do not wear what you want by what works for you… Alte had a habit of writing her arguments as a series of comments, hence the links.


Well, the girl in the ad is from Argentina. I have some friends who are Eastern European engineers, and easily that pretty. I saw one at Siemens who was Mexican and so pretty that I literally walked into a door because I was staring so hard. It happens.

I’m not saying that such beauty is common, but it’s not common in most professions. It’s not common in most people, to be honest. It’s not like ads for lawyers and doctors feature the most buck-teethed, obese people they can find, and stock photos are common. I just don’t know why it should be considered unbelievable in engineers.

Also, I think you’d be surprised how many of us have spent years taking ballet lessons. You don’t know, she might spend her free time being an actual ballet dancer. Or tango. LOL

Also, her clothing is pretty typical of how we used to dress at Siemens. It’s quite casual there, and people walk around in Birkenstocks because of the lab rules. Nobody’s wearing a suit unless they’re in management, and a low-level developer definitely wouldn’t be. At least she looks neat, clean and feminine, which is what I also aimed at in the office.

I’ve complained about this before (after TTH complained about Marissa), but it’s sad to have it come from the left this time.


I think this might be an American bias, although in Texas my colleague and I were both always dressed tip-top. But we were both semi-foreigners (Guam and Germany, respectively), so maybe we’re not representative.

But, let’s be honest, most American women look like slobs. That’s not something specific to engineering. And this is her official profile photo, so obviously she put some effort into it.

Traditional Christianity is still up and it is a wonderful resource for women, because of Alte, who was among other things a fashion diva. When not running testing engineering. This resonates… the GF trained as a recording engineer (In Chinese Soviet you do not choose a job, the job chooses you) and dresses smartly. I have to lift my game to match. Which I can do: last week in Vienna (wearing a linen jacket, checked shirt and dark cotton pants with dressy walking shoes on) I was asked directions. Which was amusing: I was not dressed to Austrian standards and my German is limited to ordering sparkling water, coffee and beer.

But my friend is in error in another way. For there s a true authenticity, and this is what the Romanticists seek — even though they reject the person who was authentic. They reject the truly good, the truly holy, and the person who truly understands natural philosophy and can hack the world as he sees fit.

Matthew 14:22-36

22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

28Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, 36and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Now, we are fallen. God is not.

We will never get rid of the taint of sin in our lives. We will continue to struggle with our besetting sins, because we like them, and under stress we return to the false comfort of them.

We will continually have to consider those around us as part of our lives, and bend our will to fit around theirs. Some would argue, in fact, that this is what makes us human: this reflection of the other as we see them. (I do have difficulty with this, as the socially challenged, the socially clumsy, and the unlikable are then seen in some manner as sub-human, and in that abyss lies the law of Godwin).

And although we are like God, God is not like us, nor is he one of us. He is true: he is authentic. And in this life, we will never be.