Perceived authenticity of a thing heightens its aesthetic value

Evidence

Authenticity is an obvious virtue in the realm of material goods. Things should be what they are supposed to be. “A pine table is a proper thing,” stated a nineteenth-century interior design guide, “but a pine table that pretends to be black walnut is an abomination.” Authentic things are true things. Truth conforms to our expectations; fakery disappoints. A strange birdsong, notes Immanuel Kant, is beautiful when we believe it’s “nature’s handiwork” and less so when we realize it’s a wooden birdcall. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 265

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Taste earns status only when proven anchored to a life history — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 267; A band’s inauthenticity can itself be its genuine artistic material. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 1052; Tech-scene authenticity means constancy and consistency, not volume of disclosure — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 287 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Costly displays distinguish sincere believers from fakers #corroborates (0.75)
• Tech-scene authenticity means constancy and consistency, not volume of disclosure #qualifies (0.72) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 287
• Authenticity in self-branding means displaying hidden inner life, not mere honesty #qualifies (0.72) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 285