Abstract
Authenticity can be defined as the basic element of a meaningful, unique, and special life. Authentic individuals are the people who are interested in life, open to new experiences, curious and creative in their lives, and enjoy the moment. The basis of the authentic and creative selves in children go back to the early childhood period. The authenticity, creativity, and flexibility of the children are formed not only with the efforts of families but also those of teachers, educators, administrators, and politicians. Adults should stay away from uniform and standard products and activities not to waste their children's valuable time and not to let their children spend time with non-functional and non-artistic activities. It is suggested that adults had better enrich their children's creative visions by giving them various opportunities for authentic experiences. The main purpose of this chapter is to create and increase awareness in people by discussing the importance of the roles of people who are involved in raising children who will contribute to the improvement of the future world.
TopConcept Of Authenticity
The concept of authenticity is a deeply rooted, quite old concept. It goes back to ancient Greek philosophy and encompasses a broad content (Harter, 2002).
Socrates quoting “Unquestioned life is not life” is one of the first to draw attention to the authenticity of the individual. The authors have witnessed many times that the children have been given suggestions “to be themselves and not to imitate others”. This kind of expressions indicates that there is a universal consensus on preserving and polishing the individual's core, authenticity by bringing it into light. The value of people being aware of who they really are and accepting themselves as they are is often emphasized in different cultures (Jongman-Sereno & Leary, 2018).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Self Actualization: The way of someone to realize and activate person’s abilities and potentialities, which exist in everybody.
Creativity: It is reflection of the individual's originality in every field.
Creative Thinking: A series of processes including boundry crossing, curiosity, and thinking differently. It goes beyond stereotypes and to be aware of multiple solutions.
Authenticity: It is the manifestation of the originality of the individual's feelings, thoughts and behaviors.