Is being a Pro being “inauthentic”?
On the case against the concept of writer’s block, Seth Godin gave an example of a barber (full interview). Do you want your barber to complain how they’re having a bad day, saying they don’t feel like cutting your hair? No, you’re paying them to have a good day right now.
He continued to point to the fact that you should be a pro (repeating what his friend Steven Pressfield says). A pro shows up and does their job (what they’re paid to do that they otherwise would not do). He encourages you to also take a step past your job and do your work (help those around you, create something that would not otherwise have existed).
He said that you can “brainwash” yourself into loving what you do. You can choose to love the daily cycle of life.
So I wondered to myself: Is that being inauthentic, untrue to yourself? Isn’t that the lack of integrity, fooling yourself into something that’s not?
I think the point, though, is you can shape reality.
What convinced me that Seth is probably right here is a look at what the big religions understood. In Christianity, they pointed at one being born with “sin”. I take the view that “sin” means “living by default”. They understood that you can’t just live by default.
Putting in effort is not being inauthentic. Rather, it’s worthwhile.
P.S. Here’s another interview from Seth, on the same topic: