How do you distinguish between authentic and inauthentic interests?

[soos_mite_ah]

How do you know if you're interested in something because you're good at it or if you're interested something because you genuinely like it? 

[mandyjw]

By how it feels, do you enjoy the process and the learning itself or just the accolades? 

Doing what you love is taking the path of least resistance.

Doing what you're good at is taking the path of least resistance.

The two are not at odds, so they usually go hand in hand, even though this seems to be too good to be true, it makes sense. When there is resistance it could mean you're doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons or it could mean you have the wrong mindset, or some sort of misunderstanding about it.

[Gesundheit]

You can't know and there is no difference.

[soos_mite_ah]

@mandyjw I can see how it can go hand in hand. If you're interested in something, you're more likely to practice and become really good at it. 

For my specific case, I'm currently studying finance. I got interested in finance because I thought I was good at math. I'm good at math because I enjoy dealing with numbers. I tried to think of when this enjoyment started and I traced it back to when my parents made me do extra math after school growing up. I think that extra practice and the encouragement might have conditioned me into liking math. I don't know to what extent an interest is authentic if it is conditioned. But then again, aren't many interests conditioned usually by some type of early experience? So now I'm  questioning whether or not i'm genuinely into finance.

I started questioning this because I started this one topic that is difficult and I caught myself thinking to myself "god I hate this." This might be just this one topic we are going over and it might just be a little bit of frustration lol but I did begin to question myself. 

[Artsu]

4 hours ago, soos_mite_ah said:

@mandyjw I can see how it can go hand in hand. If you're interested in something, you're more likely to practice and become really good at it. 

For my specific case, I'm currently studying finance. I got interested in finance because I thought I was good at math. I'm good at math because I enjoy dealing with numbers. I tried to think of when this enjoyment started and I traced it back to when my parents made me do extra math after school growing up. I think that extra practice and the encouragement might have conditioned me into liking math. I don't know to what extent an interest is authentic if it is conditioned. But then again, aren't many interests conditioned usually by some type of early experience? So now I'm  questioning whether or not i'm genuinely into finance.

I started questioning this because I started this one topic that is difficult and I caught myself thinking to myself "god I hate this." This might be just this one topic we are going over and it might just be a little bit of frustration lol but I did begin to question myself. 

I majored in maths because i was good at it. Some maths is interesting, some isnt. I enjoyed the proofs in topology, but not real analysis, despite them being similar subjects.

But anyway. I always would say i didnt want to go into finance, when asked what i was doing with the degree. I personally don't think there is much true purpose for that field, or much opportunity to use a position in it for moral good. I'm a critic of many careers, and finance is one of those.

If you're good at maths, learn statistics if you havent already. Its useful in social science, and i found use for it in my own life.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Artsu

[mandyjw]

@soos_mite_ah It's worth taking a step back from it and exploring other things, even if you continue to study it and do your exploration in the form of hobbies, etc. It's funny how sometimes people make dramatic career changes, then find that the past career or area of study gave them a huge edge in the new career that they thought would never utilize those skills learned in the past. Life has a way of working out for us, even when it seems at some point like we chose the wrong thing. 

[Nahm]

How do you distinguish between authentic and inauthentic interests?

“Oh, I’ll be damned, yet again something I am interested in and want to do, be, have, create & experience!” (Writes it on dreamboard). Thinking / preference / creation worked perfectly, served it’s purpose, and is done. Reality is now becoming this too, and I am receiving it. Thank you reality. 

Been getting away with this relationship with reality for many years now. Would you believe not once has anyone come along and weighed in on how ‘authentic or inauthentic’ I am? It’s as if it has no bearing on feeling and creating at all. Maybe everyone else is all into their creating and wanting. Dunno.

Dreamboard is pure magic. Everything I write on it just coagulates into bigger visions, and love just keeps arising, inspiring, infusing, again & again & again. 

This will go on forever. Thank God. 

Authentic? 

Don’t really care.

Which of course, feels authentic as fuck. 

[Rilles]

Joy. Doing something inauthentic for too long makes my body tense and can give me a headache. Real purpose just feels real good, like a drug. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Rilles

[Harmony342]

It should be intrinsically motivating if it is authentic, i.e. a reward in itself. Inauthentic work should feel like grinding or forcing to attain a goal

[Lyubov]

Strategic planning can be important depending on what it is. There are things I like and want but take quite a bit of work to get and that work isn't always enjoyable to do. Reward, yes, but not always enjoyable. Some of those gym days can be real hard. Brainstorm some things you like or want to achieve and then plan it out and stick to it identifying as the masculine consciousness that is the observer. Observe and love the feminine mind and how it changes from one day saying it's what's genuine and others doubting this. Stick to this until you achieve what you set out to do and re-asses. There are also feminine ways of goung about this for example going with the flow and doing what feels good in the moment. I find it's good to have a nice personal balance of making choices this way.