Unveiling Authentic Selfhood with AI

The provided text from Greg Twemlow's "We All Wear a Pretence Coat" article explores the concept of shedding performative layers to achieve personal sovereignty and authentic expression. It highlights how individuals often adopt a "pretence coat" – a social exoskeleton of professionalism or expertise – for approval or to navigate hierarchical environments, which ultimately leads to a sense of hollowness and disconnection from one's true self. The author proposes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as a safe, non-judgmental laboratory for individuals to practice unfiltered honesty and rediscover their authentic voice. This process, involving gradual and conscious acts of truth-telling with AI and then in real-world interactions, helps individuals discern between healthy adaptation and harmful pretence, fostering a therapeutic journey towards self-awareness and genuine connection. Ultimately, the article advocates for becoming the "chooser" of when and how to reveal oneself, rather than being defined by the "coat" of pretence. Read the article.About the Author - Greg Twemlow writes and teaches at the intersection of technology, education, and human judgment. He works with educators and businesses to make AI explainable and assessable in classrooms and boardrooms — to ensure AI users show their process and own their decisions. His cognition protocol, the Context & Critique Rule™, is built on a three-step process: Evidence → Cognition → Discernment — a bridge from what’s scattered to what’s chosen. Context & Critique → Accountable AI™. © 2025 Greg Twemlow. “Context & Critique → Accountable AI” and “Context & Critique Rule” are unregistered trademarks (™).