Performative vs Authentic Vulnerability: How to Tell the Difference

And why someone with low self-esteem might confuse the two

300-hour yoga class in Rishikesh, India. A truly authentic bunch.

What “performative vulnerability” is

Performative vulnerability looks like openness, but it’s not emotionally grounded. It’s when someone shares something vulnerable (like pain, trauma, insecurity) to:

• Gain validation, admiration, or sympathy

• Appear “deep” or emotionally evolved

• Control or sof…