The hunger for authenticity guides us throughout our lives People strive for joined-up living where on the one hand what they say & do reflects what they think & feel & on the other what they think & feel reflects who they are Stephen Joseph has pioneered developments in research into authenticity drawing on the solid science of positive psychology to develop what has become one of the gold-standard tests for assessing authenticity His & others' findings reveal that when people are in relationships in which they feel accepted understood & valued they drop their defences They naturally begin to examine themselves psychologically accommodate new information & live more authentically What's more the latest studies reveal that it is authenticity that leads to true happiness In authentic Stephen Joseph presents his fresh & inspiring perspective on the psychology of authenticity alongside practical advice & exercises for the reader Drawing on the wisdom of existential philosophers the insights & research of psychologists & case studies from his own & others' clinical experiences he shows how authenticity is the foundation of human flourishing
- as well as how the ideas relate to debates about the importance of happiness