For Danes, authenticity begins with an understanding of our own emotions. If we teach our children to recognize and accept their authentic feelings, good or bad, and act in a way that’s consistent with their values, the challenges and rough patches in life won’t topple them. They will know that they have acted in accordance with what feels right. They will know how to recognize their own limits and respect them. This inner compass, an authentic self-esteem based on values, becomes the most powerful guiding force in one’s life, largely resistant to external pressures.
