Appear Authentic!The Rhetorical Oxymoron of Authentic Leadership
Lena Lid-Falkman
“Appear authentic! Act spiritual! Remember to be present! Perform mindfully!”
These calls are all paradoxical opposites. They are examples of rhetorical oxymorons, a collocation of two or more words that are logically contradictory, according to the Encyclopedia of Rhetoric (Plett, 2001). The word is in itself an oxymoron, coming from the Greek oxys, sharp, and moros, stupid. An example is when a contradicting epithet is put to a word, such as in a “loud silence.” An oxymoron works due to its emotional or comic appeal and through its absurd and paradoxical nature. “Appear authentic” is such an oxymoron. Authentic means to be true, real to your own self; when ...
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