Authenticity vs Transparency.
A common error I see online is the conflation of authenticity and transparency. In general, if I see someone using the two terms interchangeably, I assume they don’t understand either concept.
Transparency is a lack of obfuscation. To be transparent is to make information publicly available, to a significant (but not complete) degree.
Authenticity, as I define it, is predictability mixed with honesty. “Authentic” actions are those which wouldn’t surprise a fairly familiar observer, while “inauthentic” ones fall outside of the persona projected on the actor by outsiders.
Authenticity is a judgement based on assumptions without complete information, regardless of how popular a buzzword it has become. Transparency is an attempt to avoid mistaken assumptions, by providing enough information that people will understand your actions and motives.
This post owes a debt of inspiration to The Authenticity Hoax, which I finally hunkered down and read this weekend while cottaging. Highly recommended.
Supervillain Lessons #2: Give in to the urge to explain.
One of the best scenes in Pixar’s The Incredibles involves two superheroes discussing the absurdity of the Supervillain monologue, and how it inevitably ends up giving the hero enough time to escape.
It might be a flaw, but Supervillains understand the importance of exposition.
Just because you’re winning, doesn’t mean explaining yourself is a luxury. Taking the time to clearly explain what you’re doing, why you’re winning, and what you’re going to do after is almost always a good idea. You can use that explanation to win allies, calm fears, and warn people about complex or uncomfortable changes down the road.
Acting in secrecy is great, but once you’ve made an announcement, there is often great value in letting people know that you have a roadmap, that you’ve thought this through, and that there’s an endgame.
That said, when you decide to take some exposition time, make sure you wait until you’re past the point when someone understanding your plans would make them capable of derailing them.
