The Mirage of Shortcuts: Embracing Integrity and Expertise in an Inauthentic World

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ith a few clicks. Social media and platforms like this one require no credentials. Just join and post — voila — if you can connect with people you must know what you are talking about.</p><p id="5296">Granted, most of our self-help gurus are self-appointed, but shouldn’t we have some life experience to back up what we tell others? And shouldn’t we express some integrity with our words?</p><p id="71ca">I know there’s a lot of money to be made blogging about hot topics like AI and celebrities, but I know next to nothing about the world of celebrities or AI (except that tools like <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/">ChatGPT</a> are turning everyone into a blogger and expert!) so I refrain from blogging about those topics.</p><p id="200c">Full disclaimer: I used ChatGPT for this title. What do you think?</p><p id="8d2d">I’d probably make more money blogging about these topics but it’s not me. It’s not <a href="https://medium.com/pick-more-daisies">what I am passionate about</a>, have experience with, or what fuels my purpose.</p><p id="258d">I guess I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what’s real and what’s fake and now I have to worry about reading a blog post and wondering if a real person wrote it or if it was crafted by a machine.</p><p id="7782">I’m even wondering if some of the comments on my posts are sincere. They’re usually vague and sound as if they think they’ll flatter or impress me so that I’ll go to their profile and follow them.</p><p id="e0b1">I just ignore

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them but it gets under my skin. What makes some people think they can take shortcuts while the rest of us work hard at writing, building a platform, and developing authentic relationships?</p><p id="0d29">I know it’s tempting to look for shortcuts and fake your way to success, but I guess I’m old school. I am proud of my authentic efforts to connect with readers and writers. I’m confident in my job because I know I’ve garnered the experience I need to be successful at it.</p><p id="b94a">If you’re looking to connect with authentic writers let’s get to know each other!</p><div id="905a" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/for-the-love-of-all-things-genuine-b78f9e73a1c5"> <div> <div> <h2>For the Love of All Things Genuine</h2> <div><h3>It’s time to get back to the real things</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*dUxCPh0__8lRUiYO)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="885d">➡️ Ready to read (or write) unlimited articles on Medium? You can <a href="https://marygallagher356.medium.com/membership">use this link</a> to join Medium for unlimited access. A small portion of your membership <a href="https://medium.com/@marygallagher356">supports me</a> and many other great writers too.</p></article></body>

Make it so you don’t have to fake it

We’ve all been told: “Fake it ‘till you make it.” It used to sound like good advice:

Go for the job even if you’re not qualified.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

You can be anything you want — there are shortcuts to the top.

I say phooey on this self-help advice. Guess what happens when you fake it?

That’s right, you get found out. You fail. You flop. Your colleagues don’t respect you. We can sniff you out.

But, guess what happens when you work hard, maintain your integrity, and remain teachable?

That’s right, you earn the job and the promotion and the respect of your teammates.

Modern society is rife with inauthenticity

Anyone with a keyboard and a smartphone can be an expert on anything with a few clicks. Social media and platforms like this one require no credentials. Just join and post — voila — if you can connect with people you must know what you are talking about.

Granted, most of our self-help gurus are self-appointed, but shouldn’t we have some life experience to back up what we tell others? And shouldn’t we express some integrity with our words?

I know there’s a lot of money to be made blogging about hot topics like AI and celebrities, but I know next to nothing about the world of celebrities or AI (except that tools like ChatGPT are turning everyone into a blogger and expert!) so I refrain from blogging about those topics.

Full disclaimer: I used ChatGPT for this title. What do you think?

I’d probably make more money blogging about these topics but it’s not me. It’s not what I am passionate about, have experience with, or what fuels my purpose.

I guess I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what’s real and what’s fake and now I have to worry about reading a blog post and wondering if a real person wrote it or if it was crafted by a machine.

I’m even wondering if some of the comments on my posts are sincere. They’re usually vague and sound as if they think they’ll flatter or impress me so that I’ll go to their profile and follow them.

I just ignore them but it gets under my skin. What makes some people think they can take shortcuts while the rest of us work hard at writing, building a platform, and developing authentic relationships?

I know it’s tempting to look for shortcuts and fake your way to success, but I guess I’m old school. I am proud of my authentic efforts to connect with readers and writers. I’m confident in my job because I know I’ve garnered the experience I need to be successful at it.

If you’re looking to connect with authentic writers let’s get to know each other!

➡️ Ready to read (or write) unlimited articles on Medium? You can use this link to join Medium for unlimited access. A small portion of your membership supports me and many other great writers too.