“We define authenticity as purchasing on the basis of conforming to self-image. 'I like that, I am like that.' Authenticity is about buying into a product that confirms what you already think, or want to think, about yourself. Of course things like quality and durability are all mixed up in that; the Romanian-Brooklyn pickles are, probably, pretty good, and the fact that the buyer wants to see himself as the type of person who buys cool weird pickles doesn't negate the fact that the buyer may also recognize that the pickles are better than Claussen's. In fact, that’s part of it: Self-awareness of the purchase is key to the purchase itself.”