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.

Submitted by: Madilynn Gerritsen

To be authentic means being true to yourself. Doing what you want to do and living your live in accordance to your happiness and fulfillment. To me, authenticity means being happy; doing what you believe in and not caring about what other people do or say. It means recognizing your uniqueness and what makes you, you. Authenticity can mean different things for different people. As for philosophers like Heidegger, he saw authenticity as looking at your live in a different light, to think about our unavoidable death and realizing if you are making the right decisions. As for Nietzsche, he saw authenticity as not conforming to society and the unjust herd that pushes you in a direction that might not be what you intended, but it might be easy. For Kierkegaard, the meaning to life and truth was through god, and through finding those truths and meaning, authenticity will become a part of you.

As a student at OSU, becoming an individual in the community may be challenging because as Kierkegaard said, you become part of a crowd (lecture 5/5/15). You’re just another face in a lecture hall or stadium. Maybe you just go to the bar or a sports game because that’s what the crowd or your friends are doing. Being authentic in these situations may be difficult for some. One thing that I would encourage is to think. Think about what is going on. Think about how you feel. Think about if what you’re doing is what you actually want to do. Recognize your feelings, beliefs, and morals.

Take a step back. Slow down and look at the bigger picture. There is a concept known as da-sein, or thrown projection (lecture 4/16/15). Throwness meaning we are thrown into the world as it was before we got there. Things we do, tasks, values, beliefs, etc., are thrown at us and we are expected to catch them. Meanwhile, we forget being because of all the things being thrown at us. We lose ourselves and we become absorbed by them, for example, social media. I encourage everyone to take a step back. Put down your phones and technology and take a look at the world around you. People are becoming lost in technology, when they need to be open to reality to see your projection of how you could be living. Da sein; be in the moment.

Lastly, there are pressures from all over directing us in one-way or another. These pressures could be social, political, or economic. These pressures effect how we express our freedom. Freedom is one of the main concepts of the third existential theme, humanism that we discussed in lecture (lecture 5/7/15). One of the main points of this theme is the pursuit of freedom and identity, which is important for finding yourself and becoming authentic. As a college student, it is important to explore your freedom while you still have it before you take on more commitments and responsibilities of being an adult (lecture 5/26/15). I encourage everyone to embrace your youth and freedom. Go out and explore. You have the freedom to do almost anything with your lives, so find your passion and what you love and hold on those things.

To me, being authentic is a huge part of being happy. Following your heart and beliefs can make your life more rewarding and authentic. Think about the way you’re living and the way you feel. If you’re not happy, change something. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you where you want to be? Are you exploring your freedom, or are you trapped in routine like in Kafka’s metamorphosis (Kafka’s Metamorphosis)? Gregor was working at a job he hates to support people who didn’t appreciate him. He went through a change, but not a change of the self, a change of the body. If you are living inauthentically and are not happy, make a change of the self.

Submitted by: Tiara Hernandez

First, what is it to be authentically Orange? Living as a member of Oregon State’s community is encompassing the qualities that make a successful, goal oriented individual with a drive to reach their ambitions. Being a “Beaver” is striving not to only better yourself, but also adding a special something to benefit the community.

How to live AUTHENTICALLY ORANGE?

1. Encompass what it is to be a student
2. Encompass what it is to be a leader AND follower in the community
3. Use your freedom that is based on your morality

1. Ok, when I say be a student, I don’t refer to enrolling in some classes, get a good GPA, get a cool degree, and be done. No. I’m talking about learning to learn. Whether you are a freshman or have a doctorate in nuclear science, the brain never stops learning. It’s part of who we are as humans that pushes us to keep increasing our knowledge and making decisions as to what we think is the right and wrong thing to do. Questioning is one of our distinct human characteristics that is valued by the individual. “Questioning is thinking about and imagining the world different than it already is, can create innovation.” (Lecture, 5/19/15) In Oregon State we are all innovators, using our abilities to create; whether it be working in a lab, using new skills to draw new conclusions, or creating ideas to share with others.

2. As humans, we have evolved to work in packs. It is programed within us to be a part of an institution bigger than ourselves for a required sense of belonging and acceptance. We strive for a “pursuit of identity and freedom”, (Lecture, 5/19/15) but sometimes tend to get lost in what is known as “the heard”. There is always a pressure in society to go above and beyond and “transcend” for your self. Even though one might not think so, this Oregon state environment is a community and we have to “be one with other people and not thinking of each other as separate” (Lecture 5/5/15) to be successful within the community. The “Dasein” as Heidegger would state, or the “being with” is the encountering of other people in our daily lives. (Lecture, 5/5/15) Whether we choose to acknowledge them or not, a form of isolation is pretty much impossible in our existence.

3. When you board onto the journey that is college, you’re taking on a new experience that will change you in a way that adds to your existence. “Man is free; but he finds his law in his very freedom.” (The Ethics of Ambiguity, 1947) Everything you have experienced until this moment has made you who you are and has led you to make the choices you’ve made and will make in the future. As a student, leader, and follower, we can choose to live authentically by living out our lives staying true to our morals, values, and religions. By being true to ourselves one must also deny “bad faith” which is lying to ourselves and diminishing our power to make decisions that affects us. To be in bad faith one can be “both the liar and the deceived” (Lecture, 05/26/15). Do not deny your transcendence, be the person you’re meant to be. And do not deny facticity, do not do things that you wouldn’t do.

Submitted by Derek Jackson

To answer the question of what it means for someone to authentically “Be Orange”, a declaration of what it means to be orange is required first. In this response, being orange will mean to be a part of the community at Oregon State University. What this entails is that you are either a student or faculty member at this school, and therein are part of the community either by attending classes, teaching a class, work in one of the buildings, or take part in extracurricular clubs or activities. Whenever people come together as a group, problems can occur. Since some would argue that it would be impossible for the whole school to come together and get along, the community of Oregon State consists of a bunch of smaller communities. Friedrich Nietzsche defines a group of people to be a herd. The herds found in the greater community can have different moralities, in the sense that one herd will act differently than another in a given situation. Now as an individual of a herd, one is “led to be functions of the herd and to attribute value to themselves merely as functions” (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, pg. 130). But when an individual does so, their minds are now focused on the well-being of the herd. This now becomes a conflict with their authenticity. To live an authentic life is to live true to yourself. What this means is that your everyday actions do not result in bad faith. Bad faith is a way of denying the human situation (Lecture, 5/26/15); we are denying a part of our ontological centaur. Jean Paul Sartre defines the ontological centaur as two parts coinciding. One part is being-in-itself, and the other is being-for-itself (Lecture, 4/9/15). Being-in-itself relates to the human facticity, or the given in life, where being-for-itself relates to the human transcendence, which gives us humans the freedom and consciousness that we have. So in short, to be authentic with yourself is to be and act how you want to, and not how others want you to. The thing is however, we as humans want to fit in and be liked by our peers. This is the conflict that comes up in community. Nietzsche supports this when saying, “in many people I see an excessively forceful and pleasurable wish to be a function; they have the finest scent for all those positions where precisely they can be a function, and that is where they rush to” (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, pg. 131). So what then is the trick to still get along in a community and still be authentic with yourself? The first step is to be true to yourself by being and acting as who you want to be. However, the solution is not found in just one person. It requires for everyone to accept their fellow peers as their authentic self. I am not saying everyone has to accept everyone, although that would be ideal. But that is why there are different groups found at Oregon State University. Finally, to answer the question of what it means for someone to authentically “Be Orange”, all you must do is be authentic with yourself, and allow other people to be authentic with themselves.