Authentic vs. Convenient Life

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Thea Sinfuego Mr. James Roddy AP English 2.1.13 Authentic vs. Convenient Life We spend most of the time we have on this earth searching for our real identity, figuring out how to live a life worth living. Unfortunately, majority of the human population believe that the “convenient” life will satisfy them. Living the convenient life means that one is satisfied with the materialistic, temporary things of this world. For example, people who have an affinity for money, cars, amenities, etc. can be considered as living the convenient life. Even though they posses all the things of this world, emptiness and dissatisfaction can be found in their hearts. For example, Charlotte Lucas (Pride and Prejudice) chose to take the path of the convenient life by marrying Mr. Collins. However, love and true joy is absent in their marriage. In addition, Mrs. Linde (Doll’s House) abandoned her true love (Krogstad) to marry a guy with money, who can provide for her and her ill mother. The convenient life serves as a barricade to the poverty, but it brings emptiness, it hinders us from reaching the true, genuine joy of life. Authentic is defined as not false or copied; genuine; real. “Hamlet once said “This above all: To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” To live an authentic life, one must stay true to himself, and when we are true to ourselves, we are true to the people around us. Often, we have the habit of putting our “mask” on, hindering people to see our true identity. With living in truth, true and genuine joy can be found. For example, when Nora realized that she has been living a lifeless life, she decided to leave Torvald and her kids to evaluate and find her true self (leaving the convenient life to find the authentic life). Even though it can be a struggle to shift from luxury to simplicity, it is

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