Authenticity as a notion is a robust Western cultural more that I find confusing. The best parse I can get on it is this: developing an awareness and possibly a narrative around ways you behave with a subconscious expectation of social affirmation. Developing that awareness can certainly feel like a liberation of self-determination.
That can, also, undoubtedly be a powerful tool in overcoming cultural brainwashing of sorts, but I think the knife cuts both ways. The "authentic self" term makes it sound ontologically real and suggests that there is merit in searching for "finding oneself" when no ther motivating need exists. That road leads to pathological definition writing, IMHO.
I don't think authenticity is necessarily a Western value.. In India or Hindusim we have a term called "Swadharma" - basically means an individual's unique personality or moral obligations that aligns with their inner nature/self. The old notion here is "better to follow your own path than someone else's".
But when I say "be authentic" I don't necessarily mean about finding a hidden real you. It's a very difficult quest anyway but I think we can start with spotting where we're performing for an audience.
Anyway, I started this post with a very simple surface level observation but now it's getting a little deep haha
It’s not possible to define a river. Try, and you end up with the definition of an aqueduct.
I think the first sentence of the Wikipedia entry on rivers manages it nicely, with no confusion with aqueducts: "A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river."
That defines the concept of a river, not an actual river.