Het zelfportret als landkaart

The self-portrait as a landscape. A relational perspective on discovering, creating and choosing yourself

Being yourself does not always come naturally. Sometimes, you need to actively work to feel authentic. But how do you go about that? Traditional views on authenticity suggest that you can search for who you are deep down inside, chart your own course, or consistently choose what you value. Following an enactivist perspective on authenticity, these practical ideals fail to do justice to our dynamic and relational nature; the self is neither fully self-discovered, self-created, nor self-chosen. However, I believe that an enactivist interpretation of authenticity does not exclude these activities but rather gives them new meaning. In this commentary, I explore how discovering, creating and choosing yourself might occur through our interactions with others and our environment, connecting desires for self-determination to our relational nature.