Authentic Orange

Francesca Lee

In order to properly describe what it means to be “authentically orange,” we must first find the definition of authenticity. The word “authentic” is described as “not false or copied; genuine; real” (Dictionary). Oregon State University prides itself on diversity and equality, and to me, this is what it means to be orange. My draw to Oregon State is not the sports, or the Greek Life, but to the idea that everyone in Corvallis matters, and everyone at Oregon State is allowed to be themselves, and the most authentic version of themselves.
To be authentically orange is, to me, to be yourself. Attending Oregon State has taught me that above all else, I must be the truest version of myself that I can be. Often times, we see that those who live as their authentic selves are the ones who attract the most criticism. It is my thought, however, that this criticism stems from the longing from all people for the courage to be authentic. Nietzsche claims in On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense that “We still do not know where the urge for truth comes from; for as yet we have heard only of the obligation imposed by society that it should exist; to be truthful means using the customary metaphors…” (Nietzsche, 10). In saying this, Nietzsche relays the point that we do not know why we long for truth, yet being truthful is the custom of society. Thus, we lie unconsciously. To be authentic is to me, to understand ones lies, and then to find ones truths.
I have found that one of the most difficult places to become an individual is when one is growing up in an environment where one is taught what to think, say, and be, and therefore individuality is slowly stripped away. In my own experience, it has been particularly difficult becoming an individual up until my move to Corvallis for university. Attending private Christian schools for seventeen years made it difficult to be an individual, because I knew that I was supposed to be like everyone else. I believe that being authentic, and being an individual, is something that one can only do for themselves. It is difficult to find yourself, when you are told who you are. Camus states that the most complicated question in life is whether or not to kill oneself. He discusses the Myth of Sisyphus and how in this situation of the absurd, one can either kill themselves, find hope through external means, or to find hope in the absurdity. I believe that it is possible to find hope in the absurdity of life, and I believe that this hope offers the chance for one to be their authentic self. It allows for an individual to know themselves, without being told who they are.
To conclude, Simone de Beauvoir asks in his conclusion of The Ethics of Ambiguity, “is this kind of ethics individualistic or not?” He then answers his question simply, “Yes, if one means by that that it accords to the individual an absolute value that it recognizes in him alone the power of laying foundations of his own existence” (Beauvoir, 1). I believe that this sentence describes the essence of individualism in that it shows that humanity has the power to fulfill and bring meaning to his own existence. Above all, I believe that being authentically orange means to be ones most authentic self. Sartre, Beauvoir, Kierkegaard, and Heidegger all give meaningful glances into what authenticity really is.