We’ve lost our regard for being patient... As a result of technology, the speed at which we now expect things to happen has changed our understanding of patience. But certain things still take time like the building of real trust and real connection. I believe that the root challenge from our ever-increasing push for authenticity is when TRANSPARENCY is mistaken for authenticity. Before Social Media redefined the word “Friend,” it took considerable time to get to know a person. Moreover, when we used to meet someone for the first time, we would call this new relationship an acquaintance. This particular label gave each person the runway needed to test the waters along the way to friendship and understand what boundaries exist and prevent either offensive language or subjects (especially the sensitive top-three: politics, religion, sex), or even the recounting of personal events that just may not appropriate at the initial stages of relationship development. Needless to say, we tend not to reveal things to our acquaintances as we would to our friends. However, with the click of a button on our favorite platform today, we can now have instant "friends." This is the where and why the vast majority of offenses between people have come to occur (whether you observe them immediately or not)... We haven't taken the time necessary to move from acquaintance to friend, either on social media or In-Real-Life. The risk of your transparency-mistaken-as-authenticity is that I’m simply not ready to hear this about you (or from you). And if that’s the case... I may question your judgment as an employee, colleague, or vendor representing my company or my client... If you’re prone to oversharing your dirty laundry, I’d be concerned about the confidence of our company’s or our client's dirty laundry, as well. After all, no matter how great a company or client is, there's almost always something in the basket. So, be patient. Ask yourself "is this an authentic statement?" or "is this something overly transparent?" for the time I know this person (or the people in my NETWORK). If there is any question, err on the side of caution. Besides, if your goal is truly to be authentic, then just don't lie. What do think? Has your respect or trust of someone changed after an “episode of authenticity?”