Meh. Who was living a more genuine life? A guy who grew up in a village sleeping on reeds and riding an elephant? I mean, I knew a guy like that. He wanted to move to the city for electricity, and to own a Playstation. "Genuine" in the way I'm using it means unfiltered interaction, following your intellectual curiosity, willingness and sometimes bravery to enter unknown territory. It wouldn't need to be described as "genuine" in other cultures because there's no artificial alternative.