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Authenticity
Authenticity is the quality of living in accordance with one’s own genuine self, values, and commitments rather than conforming to external pressures, social conventions, or the expectations of others. In existentialist philosophy (Heidegger, Sartre, Kierkegaard), authenticity involves confronting the anxiety of radical freedom and taking full responsibility for one’s choices and identity.
Existential angst
Existential angst (also called anguish or anxiety) is a profound feeling of dread that arises from awareness of one's own radical freedom, the absence of a predetermined essence, and the inescapable responsibility for creating oneself through one's choices.
Soft relativism
For Taylor, soft relativism is the widespread modern belief that each person's values and choices are equally valid simply because they are freely chosen, making it illegitimate to criticize another person's lifestyle or moral commitments on any substantive grounds.