Bad Faith vs. Authenticity
After concluding a sumptuous meal at a high-end dining establishment—complete with delectable cuisine, a delightful ambiance and perfect service—one may find themselves pondering: What's the right tip? However, this seemingly ordinary scenario holds a profound philosophical underpinning, as highlighted by Jean Paul Sartre's 1943 publication Being and Nothingness.
Sartre expounds on a comparable situation, where he terms the waiter's behavior as "bad faith," denoting a lack of authenticity. In this context, the waiter relinquishes personal agency to adopt the role of a mere performer, catering to patrons' expectations.
This concept of "bad faith" extends beyond dining experiences and permeates various aspects of our society. Author Merve Emre's insightful exposition underscores this notion by implicating the entire human resources sector. Emre contends that the prevailing emphasis on compliance and duty within HR prioritizes and encourages the wrong behaviors.
At its core, "bad faith" perpetuates conformity rather than excellence. Bad faith happens under the guise of science and the insane idea that some have the clairvoyance to discern winners from losers. This is simply a pure façade perpetrated by charlatans.
It is time we humble ourselves and acknowledge that not only is the system inherently flawed, but maybe doing more harm than good. By doing so, we still have time to dedicate our time and effort to both each other and to issues that really matter.
Drawing from personal experiences, the path to authenticity involves respecting boundaries. When interacting with service industry professionals or others, initiating conversations with humor, riddles or genuine interest fosters an atmosphere of authenticity. Granting everyone the liberty to be genuine, even on their less favorable days, and displaying empathy toward their circumstances contributes to good faith.
Happiness lies in embracing our genuine selves and unfettered autonomy. Rather than perpetuating a culture of conformity, our pursuit of happiness hinges on living authentically, cherishing liberty and embracing each other.
This realization invites us to transcend the trappings of societal expectations, ultimately forging a path toward fulfillment and away from bad faith.
BRENDAN RYAN
Salt Lake City
"Clearing the Air," Jan. 18 Opinion
Cat Palmer hits all the right notes on our poor air quality. My wife and I have lived here for more than 40 years and have often lamented the air quality.
We have done what we could to do our part. We put solar panels on our house, bought an electric car and a hybrid car and really try to be mindful of our carbon footprint. It really aggravates me to see someone sitting in their idling car running the air conditioning while their spouse is inside shopping.
We were amazed at how clean our air became during the pandemic. We hoped it would have been a wake-up call as to how much pollution our cars contribute.
Intelligent mass transit, carpooling and remote work will really help. Now all we have to do is get our politicians onboard.
RIC LEE
Sandy
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