As Tate moved away from kickboxing and began building his online enterprise, he vowed to always be true to himself, even if it meant offending others. He felt that being completely authentic, without regard for political correctness, was the key to achieving authentic happiness and fulfilment. Tate hammers this point home to his acolytes – they need to be unashamed of who they are their honest thoughts and beliefs, and their personalities to attain true confidence and success.
He cites himself as an example, arguing that his unwillingness to self-censor or pander has made him financially independent and gained him a cult-like following. Tate contends that most people are “living in the matrix,” constrained by a need to conform and be liked and that they must break free from this to reach their full potential. He believes that everyone has a “dark side” and politically incorrect thoughts and that attempting to suppress this is counterproductive and damaging to mental health. In his view, unfiltered authenticity is strength, not a liability.
Controversies and criticism
Tate’s brash, take-no-prisoners approach and some of his more extreme statements – ranging from rants against feminism and political correctness to boasts about his wealth and success with women – have also brought him a tidal wave of criticism and condemnation. Many see his “authenticity” as a thinly veiled excuse for misogyny, racism, and general cruelty. His critics argue that using authenticity as a shield is a cop-out – that just because a viewpoint is genuinely held doesn’t mean it isn’t disgusting or harmful.
review of Tates online university of hiding behind the vague notion of authenticity to escape accountability for spreading hate and disinformation to his legions of primarily young male fans. Tate, for his part, remains defiant in the face of the backlash. He continues to insist that he’s simply being true to himself and that his haters are the ones who are mired in inauthenticity and phoniness. After being banned from several social media platforms, Tate declared that “the matrix attacked me, never kill me.”
Paradox of authenticity
Interestingly, some have pointed out the irony and contradictions in Tate’s positioning as a paragon of authenticity. After all, so much of the larger-than-life, alpha male persona he projects seems exaggerated for effect – to provoke and troll his critics while thrilling his fans. The flashy cars, guns, private jets, and bikini-clad women in his videos and pics also suggest at least some degree of posturing and image crafting.
This gets at the core paradox of placing authenticity on a pedestal the way Tate does. Suppose you’re proclaiming your authenticity very loudly and at every opportunity, constantly asserting how real and filter-free you are compared to everyone else at some point. In that case, it starts to appear contrived and inauthentic in itself. There’s an inherent performative aspect to it.
Tate’s authenticity schtick is simply a cover for expressing crude and regressive views, and a lot of what he preaches about being your “real self” is laced with hypocrisy and contradiction. Authenticity as an abstract ideal is one thing, but it is separated from the actual content and consequences of one’s words and behaviour.