Authenticity—raw, subjective emotional expression—is often celebrated as genuine, yet it overtly serves narcissistic impulses.
Choosing politeness, decorum, and restraint demands effort and can feel “inauthentic,” but these habits curb destructive self-focus (i.e., self-righteousness, egoism, entitlement). Politeness requires you to attend to others’ emotions and roles, breaking the inwardly selfish disposition.
Society thrives not on atomized individuals demanding attention from others, but on objective (and tacit) social rules that buffer egos and enable true playfulness.
Society is a team sport; narcissists are ball-hogs.
Constant narcissistic performance turns every interaction into exhausting work, stealing joy from others, and producing a new norm of protective isolation for all social encounters.
All work, no play, makes everyone a dull boy.