AUTHOR'S RESPONSE: Optimal Self-Esteem and Authenticity: Separating Fantasy from Reality

I looked forward to receiving the commentaries on my target article both with excitement and a bit of trepidation. As I read them, I felt a great deal of gratitude for the care and thoughtfulness with which the authors stated their concerns. It occurred to me that I could respond to these commentaries by thoughtfully assimilating their meaning and modifying my position accordingly. Given the issues here, however, it also occurred to me that I could be defensive and caustic and begin my response with a resounding #%+$@&*! OFF! Fortunately, I quickly brushed off the latter possibility. All joking aside, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to process, integrate, and respond to the commentaries with the same high degree of seriousness with which they were written. The issues I address in my response include the following:

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