Authentic Orange

Buddy Terry
PH150
Jenkins
10 June 2015
How To: Authentically “Be Orange” in 3 Easy Steps
As Sartre tells us human beings are, “condemned to be free”. We are inherently gifted with the freedom to create and choose our own values and make decisions for ourselves based on what kind of person we wish to be. What separates college from all other environments and forms of education is the freedom of expression we are permitted and the opportunities we are presented to grow and develop as individuals. However we must be wary of the information we allow to influence our self as this information may not directly coincide with our authentic selves. According to Sartre, being authentic is avoiding acting in bad faith; not denying ones facticity or transcendence. Here are a few easy steps to “Be Orange” without becoming a person in college that you feel does not accurately represent your true, authentic self.
Step one; know your purpose on campus and be sure that you are there for yourself, to better yourself and not others. Sartre’s concept of bad faith” tells us that a person can be both the liar and the deceived at the same time by denying their own transcendence (potential future or prospects) or facticity (traits that they already possess that define who they truly are) (lecture 5/12). People at Oregon State are often acting in bad faith when they join a group or clique, such as; a fraternity, sorority, or sports teams for the wrong reasons. These reasons may include but are not limited to a parent or family members expectations (the legacy effect), a desire to fit in to a larger crowd or because that is simply “what people do”. What Sartre would say about a person acting in this way is they are either denying their own transcendence or their facticity. For example the person that joins a fraternity because their parents tell them to is denying their own transcendence and acting in bad faith because they are following expectations that others have for them that they may not have for themselves. And a person who joins a sorority simple to fit in may be denying facticity because that really is not a priority in their college career.
Step two; prioritize, think about what is really most important for you to be happy. Sartre quotes, “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world’ he is responsible for everything he does.” (lecture 5/12)College is the first point in many young-people’s lives where they are truly independent of their families and ae acting on their own. Because of this it is important to realize that while you have ultimate control over your own decisions, you also bear the consequences alone.
Step three; surround yourself with genuine people who share the same passions you do. Nietzsche and Kierkegaard present us with similar concepts regarding the people with which we surround ourselves. “The herd or rabble” as Nietzsche describes is a sickness (Nietzsche The Gay Science 130) . He claims that while surrounding ourselves with a crowd of others could be beneficial, if these people are not acting true to themselves then you too will fall victim to the same fate. Sorin Kierkegaard similarly tells us that “the crowd”: weakens responsibility and makes individual “unrepentant and irresponsible” in his essay “The Crowd is Untruth” (Lecture 5/5).
Obstacle: Although there are many specific obstacles on campus that might affect one’s choices and ability to remain authentic to themselves, there is one that I believe encompasses the greatest majority of these obstacles; third party influence and pressure. I use the phrase “third party” because even though the majority of the people you will be surrounded by on campus are your peers, they are not the only ones that will be influencing your decisions, in both indirect and direct manors. Professors are a major influence, as it is their job to every day challenge your current ideology and at times even your most core beliefs. In this situation it is up to you to understand what knowledge you wish to believe and take in. Families are another major obstacle, and although they may be off campus, they are still and indirect pressure. Living one’s life to satisfy another is a prime example of acting in bad faith and denying one’s authenticity. Just like the waiter that tries too hard to be a waiter to please his patrons, you too would be denying who you are to please you family.
I hope that this how to guide will help you in your quest to remain authentic while still being orange.