I want to "be authentic" but can I afford it? Analyze my actual life: my race, class, gender, job, financial situation, dependencies, and privileges. Then reality-check: authenticity is a privilege. Some people can be their authentic selves without consequence. Others get fired, disowned, harmed, or killed for it. Am I in a position to be authentic or is "authenticity" a luxury I'm romanticizing? Map what authenticity would actually cost me: my job? My family? My safety? My income? Then tell me: is the call to authenticity from a place of growth or naivety? Show me the difference between authentic expression and reckless disclosure. Give me the strategy: where can I be authentic safely vs. where do I need strategic performance to survive? Include: what authenticity would actually cost me, whether I can afford that cost, and if authenticity is liberation or just privilege I'm not checking.