What The 2023 Words of The Year Say About Perception

Each year as we prepare to turn the page and enter into the new year, the festivities of reflection begin. Deciding what we could have done without and what we could improve upon ourselves often becomes a public affair for accountability, as the digital age has seen it morph into yet another tool for the shaping of the public persona.

In late November, Merriam Webster Dictionary announced “authentic” as the 2023 “word of the year”. Just a few days later, Oxford University Press announced theirs as “rizz”. This is just as striking as it is amusing because those words appear to be polar opposites, yet they exist on the same spectrum—How we wish to be viewed by others.

Although “rizz” is derived from the word “charisma”, it’s not something that you might have naturally, it’s a melding of skills you hope to develop as a way of attracting partners: style, sexiness, smooth-talk. As is the case with many ideas, this is nothing new by any means (see Mae West—now THAT woman had rizz). As trends produce new styles, so too the slang of the times change with them.

Meanwhile, authentic simply means some thing or person is of genuine realness. There’s no new slang for that word, so why was it so popular this last year?

These two words reflect this year’s trend of attempting to defend and validate our worth to others in an online space that is becoming increasingly used to achieve or maintain livelihood.

With the world getting seemingly more dismal and artificially intelligent by the day, people are desperate to reassure others that they are as real as it gets. Advertising your business and brand is no easy thing, it takes a lot of time and strategy. Yet with trends moving along at such rapid speed, advertising is eating itself alive—Social media influencers are now some of the top sellers and managers scramble to get their company TikToks up and running to get in on the action. This is how it goes.

There is a huge pressure to maintain the social media presence that is required for those who rely on engagement to attract business and financially support themselves and their families. Meanwhile, over 59 million people in America used dating apps in 2023. It seems like having rizz and authenticity onscreen are necessary to build a desirable life for at least 3 in 10 Americans who are looking for romantic partners.

A disturbing realization, though, is that the word “authentic” is being slapped over services and people as a selling point, just as “organic” or a “promise to you” might be printed on labels of various goods on the shelves in groceries stores, no less processed or ethically obtained than the same good of a different brand next to it.

Suddenly, someone having “rizz”, which impulsively reads as some sort of façade, is more authentic than the word “authentic” being used as the makeup for a brand’s rizz as they attempt to lure in new clients. “Rizz” is what it is on the surface and now “authentic” has layers to examine. 

Authenticity is not out and never will be—Who you are is enough!

This isn’t to say that “authentic” and “authenticity” aren’t still being used, well, authentically. Good people exist, you must remember, and genuine authenticity, transparency, and boundaries are just a few massive green flags to embrace when working with clients and businesses. 

Self-awareness and confidence are key. When you are being authentic, it will show itself. Hopping on wordy trends might help you gain impressions on LinkedIn for the week, but it does nothing for YOU if you are not truly practicing authenticity. This helps take the weight off of the fear that people are perceiving you in a way that does not reflect who you or your brand truly are. 

Believing in yourself will naturally lead to an increase in that charisma you want to give off. See how that works? 2023 had one last lesson to teach us after all. And we’ve only just scratched the surface.