This was a fun Socratic dialogue I wrote for a Greek Philosophy class. There’s a logical fallacy hidden inside that Socrates also made in one of his dialogues. I hope you enjoy reading this!

Being authentic on social media

On a sunny afternoon in a trendy café, Bella and Ava, two social media influencers known for their sharp style and even sharper opinions, were discussing the latest trends in influencer culture. They’d just finished talking about a new collaboration with a brand that was getting a lot of buzz, but as the conversation turned to their mutual friend Chloe, the mood shifted.

Ava, always vocal about her thoughts, scrolled through her Instagram feed. She came across a recent post of Chloe at the beach, glowing with confidence after a fitness transformation. Ava scoffed, shaking her head as she flicked the phone screen off. “What’s up?” Bella asked, noticing the look of disapproval on her friend’s face.

Ava: Oh my god, I feel like Chloe is so fake.

Bella: Really? Why?

Ava: She didn’t post any pictures when she gained weight a few months ago! She only posted a pic at the beach yesterday after she toned up!

Bella: Isn’t that just normal? We all wanna present our best selves.

Ava: But I think that’s not being authentic! Don’t you think being authentic is important?

Bella: Oh, totally. But…

Ava: …and to be authentic on social media is to not give other people a wrong impression of yourself.

Bella: Okay, okay. So, that’s why you think Chloe’s being inauthentic?

Ava: Yes!

Bella: Alright. To give people the correct impression of us, we have to give a full picture of who we are, right?

Ava: Oh yeah, totally, Bella.

Bella: Cool. So let’s say someone loves Indian food, but they never post about eating it on Instagram. Would you call that inauthentic?

Ava: Uh, no way. That’s just… not a thing, Bella.

Bella: Right, so if someone goes on a trip to France but doesn’t post every single detail about it, would you say they’re being inauthentic?

Ava: Ugh, no. I’m not that crazy.

Bella: Exactly. So, we can’t always post everything. But it’s clear now that it’s impossible to give a full picture of yourself on social media. So, you can’t be authentic by your definition.

Ava: Okay, okay. But there’s a difference between not posting about your vacation and Chloe hiding her weight gain. She made a calculated decision to only post the toned-up picture. That’s inauthentic.

Bella: So, you’re saying authenticity means not acting with calculations?

Ava: YES. Exactly. No games, just realness.

Bella: Okay, but do you think acting with calculations is always bad for you?

Ava: Definitely not! It can be good when it works, but like… eventually, the truth comes out.

Bella: So, acting with calculations is only sometimes good for you?

Ava: Yeah, I guess.

Bella: But do you think being authentic is always good for you?

Ava: Uh, yeah. I mean, duh.

Bella: Alright, so we’ve established that acting with calculation is only sometimes good for you. But if acting with calculation is inauthentic, and being inauthentic is always bad… how can something that’s always bad also be sometimes good?

Ava: Ugh, I see what you’re saying, Bella. But I still feel like… I’m not wrong?

Bella: Okay, let’s try this. Suppose my boyfriend Darek, when he was younger, spent all his pocket money on random stuff, like video game skins.

Ava: Oh, he’s already a red flag, Bella. What kind of boyfriend spends all his money on skins?

Bella: Just listen! Imagine his aunt, realizing how reckless Darek was with money, secretly saved up his inheritance for his education and never told him about it.

Ava: Smart aunt. Love her for that.

Bella: Right. So, when Darek turns 18, he’s broke and can’t afford university. His aunt gives him the saved-up money for his tuition.

Ava: Aw, that’s actually really sweet.

Bella: So, do you think his aunt’s decision to hide the money from him was a calculated move?

Ava: I mean, yeah, I guess you could say that.

Bella: But would anyone in their right mind say she was being inauthentic?

Ava: No way. She’s just being practical.

Bella: Exactly. So, your definition of authenticity doesn’t quite hold up in that case.

Ava: Hmm. Okay, okay. But I still feel like she was virtuous, though. So what if we say, to be authentic is to only act with calculations if the intentions are virtuous?

Bella: Oh! I see what you’re doing. But let’s simplify it. Let’s just say “virtuous” means common-sense virtues, things we all agree are good.

Ava: Yes, that works.

Bella: So, if something is done with common-sense virtue, we’d expect it to benefit the other party involved, right?

Ava: Of course. Duh.

Bella: So, to be authentic is to only act with calculations if it benefits the other party involved.

Ava: Yes, finally!

Bella: Okay, but let’s consider a businessman making a deal with a corrupt politician. They’re both benefiting, right?

Ava: Um, yeah, that’s the whole point of a shady deal, right?

Bella: Exactly. But would you say that they’re being authentic?

Ava: Uh, no. They’re shady as heck! They’re probably stealing public funds and lying about it.

Bella: So, not all acts that benefit the other party are virtuous, right?

Ava: Right. I see what you’re saying now. Not everything that benefits someone else is virtuous.

Bella: So, your definition doesn’t work. You can’t say that to be authentic is to only act with calculations if it benefits the other party.

Ava: Ugh. This is getting confusing, Bella.

Bella: I know! We’ve been dancing around it. But let’s try something else. How about: to be authentic is to be indifferent to appearances, and focused on essence?

Ava: Hmm. Alright, fine. Let’s give it a shot.

Bella: Essence is who you are, no matter what society says, right?

Ava: Yeah, exactly. I’m me, and nobody can change that.

Bella: So let’s talk about doctors. Some people choose medicine because it’s well-paying and respected. They’re not doing it because they have some deep calling they had at 16, but they go for it anyway.

Ava: Yup. That’s the reality.

Bella: And a lot of them later find out they love it and go on to save lives for 40 years.

Ava: True.

Bella: But do you think they would’ve become doctors if there wasn’t this societal pressure to go into a “respectable” profession?

Ava: Probably not. They might’ve been artists or something, *chuckles* imagine that.

Bella: But does that mean they’re not authentic doctors?

Ava: Hmm. No, I don’t think so.

Bella: And do you think they’re any less authentic because they made the decision due to societal pressure? After decades of saving countless lives?

Ava: Well… no.

Bella: Exactly. So, your definition of authenticity doesn’t quite work here.

Ava: Ugh. I really need to rethink this whole authenticity thing, don’t I?

Bella: Yeah, I think it’s not as simple as you think. How about we go a bit more broad here? To be authentic is to embrace all parts of yourself.

Ava: Hmm, that’s an interesting take. But do you think you can really understand a person without looking at their actions? I mean, their actions show you who they really are.

Bella: Exactly! Actions speak louder than words, right? That’s how you get the full picture of someone.

Ava: Like, take someone who reads a lot. Their actions—the books they read—show you the part of the person that loves knowledge.

Bella: Right! And if we follow that logic, it’s clear that the things we do reflect parts of person we are.

Ava: Exactly.

Bella: So, when Chloe posts only the best pictures of herself, presenting this idealized version of her life. It shows the inauthentic part of her.

Ava: Exactly! That gurl fake as hell!

Bella: Yeah, but here’s the twist—maybe that’s exactly what makes her authentic. Perhaps to be authentic is to embrace the inauthentic parts of yourself?

Ava: Wait… so you’re saying that to be authentic, I need to accept the inauthentic parts of me, too? The parts that don’t look good on Instagram, or… *gasp* the parts that don’t show the parts that don’t look good on instagram?

Bella: Exactly. It’s a paradox, right? The more we try to hide our inauthentic parts, the more we distance ourselves from the full picture of who we really are. But if we embrace all of it, the messy stuff included, maybe we’re being more authentic than we realize.

Ava: So you’re telling me authenticity is about accepting the fake stuff?

Bella: Pretty much. The fake parts, the curated parts, the stuff we don’t always want to show. That’s all you, babe.

Ava: Damn, that’s a real plot twist. I guess the more I try to push away the “fake” stuff, the more I’m just pretending, huh?

Bella: Totally. So I guess we can agree. If Chloe is embracing her inauthenticity, she might actually be more authentic than you thought!

Ava: Ugh, I hate it, but… yeah, you’re right. I guess I’ll have to admit she’s doing her thing