12 personality traits you’ll usually find in a truly authentic person

Being “authentic” is one of those buzzwords that we’ve all heard bandied about a lot in recent years.

But what does it really mean to be an authentic person? 

Simply put, authentic means genuine. These are the traits that make you who you are. Being authentic means being true to yourself at all times, even when it’s not convenient. 

If you’re an authentic person, you’re content and happy with yourself as you are right now. You have the courage to be your real self regardless of what other people think, or what they might whisper behind your back. 

Embracing your true, authentic self makes life easier to navigate. Connecting with your strengths and passions in a meaningful way makes everything from business decisions to choosing what to have for dinner easier.

That makes sense and sounds pretty awesome. 

Get rid of the background noise of other people’s judgment and see how smoothly things can go when you’re true to your authentic self. When you’re aligned properly, you tend to effortlessly attract the people and resources you need.

Genuine people are easy to identify by their personality traits, their actions, and how they interact with the world around them. Here are some of the traits associated with personal authenticity. 

1) Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the key to authenticity because it allows you to understand who you are deep inside. If you’re self-aware, you’re honed in on your strengths and not just your weaknesses.

Self-awareness is the bedrock of authenticity because it allows us to behave in a manner that aligns with our best selves. To develop authenticity in your own life, take an honest look inward, reflect, and identify the traits that make you, well, you.

2) Honesty

Authentic people definitely like to keep it real, both with themselves and others. You don’t feel the need to pretend to be someone you’re not or censor what you’re thinking, saying, or feeling. 

Authenticity is about the ability to express yourself openly and fearlessly. When you’re committed to honesty across the board, you can draw the right people to you and build genuine relationships with other authentic people. 

Because authentic people are honest with themselves regarding their abilities, what they want from life, and who they aspire to be, they’re also completely honest with everyone around them as well. 

So, consider yourself duly warned. This bunch calls them as they see them and they don’t hold back. Some may even say they are brutally honest about their thoughts and opinions. 

I’m failing to see the downside to that, frankly. 

Authentic people have no desire to deceive others about their motives because they’re self-assured. They don’t consider themselves to be in competition with anyone except for who they were yesterday.

Their drive to excel springs from deep within themselves with no external noise muddying up the waters. 

Because they know who they are and what they want, real folks don’t say stuff they don’t mean or do anything they don’t want to do. They share their views and feelings without fear because that’s who they are and what they do.

3) Reciprocity

Authentic people understand the value of forming reciprocal relationships built on mutual respect and honesty. 

They instinctively get the inherent reward-cost ratio in relationships. Because they are self-aware and confident, they are generous with their own resources and knowledge. 

These are not the folks who will withhold important information for fear of other people co-opting or stealing their ideas. 

Quite the contrary, actually. Authentic people consistently revel in other people’s successes like they are their own.

4) Consistency

Since authentic people engage in self-reflection and hold themselves accountable for their actions, they tend to be emotionally consistent. 

They live fully in the here and now with one eye on the future. You won’t find authentic people flip-flopping on an issue or wracked with indecision because they decided long ago where they’re headed and why.

5) Open-minded

Authentic people are open-minded individuals who are always willing to entertain new ideas, even ones that could challenge their own belief system. 

They are more than ready to hear the opinions of others and are self-confident enough to learn from their mistakes. They are happy to incorporate that new information into their personal values system.

6) Confidence 

The bottom line here is that genuine people just are who they are. They understand that some people will like them a lot, and some emphatically will not.

And they are OK with that, knowing full well that other people’s opinions of them are none of their business.

A full 10 percent of the people you meet won’t like you, no matter what you do. You could pay off their mortgage and they’d still roll their eyes at you. 

That’s life.

When you finally accept the fact that you can’t please everyone and there’s no point in even trying to, it’s very freeing. 

It takes some practice to quell our knee-jerk reaction of feeling hurt when someone dislikes us, but it’s well worth the effort. Self-confidence is a robust return on investment for the work you’ll put in.

If you’re authentic, you have the confidence to reject societal pressure to conform. You easily avoid the lure of easy short-term satisfaction in favor of delayed gratification that will be so very worth it in the long run. 

7) Humility 

Humility is a trait that’s highly indicative of an authentic person. If you’re keeping it real, impressing others or projecting a carefully cultivated image is of no interest to you. 

If you choose to live authentically, there’s no need to brag about your accomplishments or pursue popularity. Instead, you celebrate your true self and who you are at this moment without the need to toot your own horn.

8) Creativity

Most authentic people are very creative because they are willing to express themselves in a unique and often unconventional manner. They are not afraid to stand out from the crowd because that’s who they are.

If you’d like to nurture your own authenticity, be sure to tap into your creative juices and employ the most inventive ways you can think of to reveal your true inner self. 

9) Accepting

Authentic people listen to others attentively and are mindful of verbal and non-verbal cues. Emotional intelligence (EQ), or the ability to understand ourselves and others, ties in here.

Self-knowledge is key to accepting others. When you are secure with your own value system, opposing viewpoints and lifestyles are non-threatening to you.

Authentic people check themselves and their mistakes regularly, so they’re not prone to judging other people for theirs. These mistakes are lessons to be learned from for continued growth. 

We’re all human, after all.

10) Empathy

Authentic people are empathetic and understand other people’s feelings and viewpoints. They’ll take the time to really listen to what people are saying and understand where they’re coming from. 

They don’t half-listen while mentally piecing together a preemptive reply. Empaths put down their phone and turn off the TV or anything else that could be a distraction. 

Authenticity isn’t just about our relationship to ourselves, it’s also the way we relate to others. Empaths are fully present in the moment with the other person. And no, they’re not zoning out while pretending to listen. They interact with others with genuine interest.

This gift is rarer than you may think. 

Empathy allows us to connect with others in a deeper and more meaningful way, becoming more authentic in the process. 

11) Simplicity

An authentic person isn’t interested in material luxuries. Instead of an expensive gift for their birthday or dinner at a fancy restaurant, they would prefer to spend quality time with you. 

Most people find their preference for the simpler things in life refreshing. Material things just aren’t on an authentic person’s radar even if it might be a challenge to buy them a present. 

12) Realism

People with an authentic, genuine personality aren’t easily influenced by society or trends. Nor are they swayed by any other external pressures and expectations, including those of their family and friends. 

They know who they are and what they’re about. They are honest when assessing their own or anyone else’s abilities. They don’t sugarcoat their findings either way.

As realists, authentic people deal with the things they can change head on while accepting those they can’t with grace. This makes them perfect for house training puppies and lots of other useful if sometimes disappointing tasks.

Authentic individuals are transparent in all of their interactions, and they always come from a place of honesty and sincerity. Their authenticity helps them create deeper connections with those in their lives. Other people respond by being far more likely to trust individuals who are consistently true to themselves.

Final thoughts

Authentic people possess traits that point to a healthy attitude about life. They are more likely than most to be happy people mainly because they are content with themselves, and accept those around them as they are.

Being an authentic person isn’t about serving as some model of perfection. They make mistakes like everyone else. The difference is their willingness to own their mistakes and their eagerness to learn from them.