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Authenticity
What does it demand?
Closet full of bones, just don’t try to put ’em back together
(Try to put ’em back together)
They know just by my tone so wear it like a scarlet letter
(Wear it like a scarlet letter)— Troi
Between a perfect replica of the Mona Lisa and the original, no sane person would choose the replica. Even thieves take the replica to switch it with the original.
Original and authentic are interchangeable words. But taking a chance to understand what we mean by these words has hardly received the level of dedication it deserves, especially in this era of deepfakes. I will be lying to you if I say that I have dedicated countless hours to understanding the authentic. All I do is report what I have been reading and trying to understand.
Lately, the rate at which what I have known has been shifting matches a high-magnitude earthquake, but for the brain. A good sign. And my understanding of authenticity has since shifted with particular nuances that can easily be overlooked.
I can’t think of anyone better to highlight a falsity about authenticity than Dave Chappelle. The legendary storyteller and stand-up comedian was handed $50 million to continue…



