Authenticity is a feeling and an expression of absolute truth. In The Authenticity Project, characters strive for authenticity in their lives by opening themselves up to vulnerability. Being an authentic person is difficult because it requires that people take risks and open themselves up to judgment. Ultimately, this novel supports the idea that authenticity, though difficult, is important.

Hazard is a man struggling between addiction and sobriety. Facing his authentic self is difficult because he doesn’t know who that is. Drugs and alcohol obscure Hazard’s true personality, making him behave like a jerk to himself and others. In his addiction, Hazard finds bad behavior funny and uses women for fun. When Hazard decides to get sober, he makes an agreement with himself to find out who the real Hazard is. While sober, Hazard experiences depths of emotion he used to repress with drugs and alcohol. By navigating these emotions, Hazard can find out his authentic self. But Hazard must also contend with his past and his reputation, making the hill to authenticity a steep one to climb. Hazard doesn’t truly allow himself to be vulnerable until after his relapse. In the aftermath, his new friends find him fragile in a way they had never seen before.