SELECTED QUESTIONS
FROM THE AUTHENTICITY TEST
which is embodied in the
first two chapters of
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism
Instructions
The first two chapters of this book contain
about 100 questions,
which are intended to help you evaluate your own growth toward
Authenticity.
Of course, questions, which must necessarily ask about facts of
your life,
cannot get to the real core of Authenticity—your reasons and motives.
Also, questions can only sample your life at random.
If you smoke (Question #4), this behavior stands for hundreds of other
'choices'
you have made because of peer pressure rather than personal autonomy.
And giving up smoking will not make you a more Authentic person
unless it is part of a much broader change toward deciding for yourself.
Changing your behavior simply because of a question in the Authenticity
Test
is no more valid than claiming to be an educated person
because you knew the exam questions in advance and studied only for
them.
The 23 contrasts on page 4 might better be
seen as 23 growth scales.
Thus, instead of merely giving yourself a numerical score,
you might decide to write a paragraph of self-examination
for each dimension of growth that seems meaningful to you.
Such writing might become the beginning of your Authenticity journal
(p. 31).
If you are tempted to distort your score one
way or another,
you might decide to take the test (which appears in boxes)
before you read the text explaining each form of growth toward
Authenticity.
Or if you are reading this book with someone who knows you well,
you might discuss your ratings with each other.
When a question cannot easily be answered yes
or no,
feel free to interpret and give yourself fractional points. For
instance:
16. Did I get married (or will I have married) because it was
expected?
yes—2
points
somewhat—1
point
no—0 points
If your marrying behavior was due mostly to social pressure,
you might give yourself 1.5 points.
Even if the Authenticity Test is not helpful
in other ways,
at least the specific questions can open possible areas for growth.
And, of course, you may add your own growth goals to the 23 explored
here.
A DEFINITION OF AUTHENTIC EXISTENCE by JAMES PARK
7
Here is the first part of the Authenticity Test,
which should reveal
the degree to which we have accepted our given culture or sub-culture:
1. To what degree do I still copy other human beings?
very much—3 points somewhat—2
points
very little—1 point none—0
2. Do I hold a job that existed before I came along? yes—3
points no—0
3. Do I drink
coffee?
yes—1
point
no—0 points
4. Do I
smoke?
yes—1
point
no—0 points
5. Do I drink alcoholic
beverages?
yes—1
point
no—0 points
6. Score yourself on the following possessions you own:
car—3 points recreational vehicle or
boat—2
points television—1 point
7. Am I
married?
yes—3
points
no—0 points
8. Do I watch sports or soap operas on television?
regularly—4
points
occasionally—2
points
never—0 points
9. Do I read the sports section of a newspaper or romance novels?
regularly—2
points
occasionally—1
point
never—0 points
10. Have I copied the religion (or non-religion) of my parents?
yes—2
points
to some degree—1
point
not at all—0 points
11. Do I agree with the political beliefs of my close associates?
yes—2
points
somewhat—1 point
I decide each issue independent of the beliefs of my peers—0 points
12. Am I still capable of falling in love?
yes—3 points somewhat—2
points
seldom—1 point no—0 points
30. Do I acknowledge that some of my past choices were enculturated?
yes—4
points
somewhat—2
points
no—0 points
31. Am I actively resisting the expectations of other people
in order to pursue values and purposes I consider more important?
yes—4
points
somewhat—2
points
no—0 points
32. Have I started to re-create or re-invent myself,
centering my new being around purposes I have freely chosen?
yes—4
points
somewhat—2
points
no—0 points
33. Have I created my own means of making a living? Choose one:
I have resisted holding a job
in order to devote myself to more important purposes—3 points
I have created a brand new occupation
in which I can pursue my Authentic project-of-being—3 points
I have modified an existing occupation to be more Authentic—2 points
I have a job that leaves little room for Authenticity—0 points
The method of scoring is not relevant
here,
since there are about 100 questions in all.
But the questions above give a fair idea
of how the Authenticity Test works.
The complete test is found in the printed version of
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism.
Return to the Table
of Contents
for
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism