Authenticity

Personally, I feel that the vague idea of Authenticity could be defined any number of ways, and perhaps they may all be correct. However when discussing notions of authenticity within the context of identity (another vague concept), I feel that the notion of that which is or is not authentic becomes mutable, something specific to the individual discussed. I feel that each and every person has a moral compass that guides the decisions we make, the way we relate to each other, and most importantly, the way we relate to ourselves. Because our morality necessarily takes on a public and private function, I feel that it is possible to be an authentic individual and an inauthentic person simultaneously depending on who we are relating to, ourselves or our peers. Colonel Redl, for example, is an industrious and dedicated soldier, and for as much as he respects the empire he lives, in relation to his public life, within the boundaries of his own morals and wishes. However, because he isnt capable of reconciling certain aspects of his private individuality (namely his homosexuality) he becomes an easily exploitable scape-goat for the empire. It is silly, however, to wonder whether or Redl's life might have had a different outcome whether or not he could have been capable of living with his sexual orientation. Within his line of work, with his office, no matter how he chose to deal with his identity he would have remained a target for conspiracy.