But modern society has exalted this notion of authenticity to the point where at times it cuts directly against the value that previous generations placed on restraint and self-control. In the early 1970s, for example, Richard Nixon’s presidency was fatally damaged by the existence on the transcription of the Watergate tapes of the phrase “expletive deleted.” The thought that the president might use foul language in discussions in the privacy of his office was deeply shocking to the American people. Today,
