Is the desire for authenticity something that defines an FP type? I always see authenticity mentioned when reading about Fi so I want to understand why they care about it. To me is not a priority because being honest about what I feel is many times not a good choice: you might get cancelled, lose opportunities, give people a bad impression, offend someone or hurt their feelings and even put yourself in danger.
Yes and no, but it's worth saying you're viewing authenticity through an Enneagram 6 lens (I could get canceled... people won't like me... give someone the wrong impression... be at risk) and non-6 strong Fi types wouldn't even think about that in terms of self-expression. Gut type Fi's in particular have a "take it or leave it, this is how I see it" attitude toward life, in defiance of external standards.
You're also misunderstanding what their "authenticity" is about.
Feelings are not values. They reinforce your values and tell you what your values are, but values are that thing about you that you cannot change, that to violate would feel like a genuine betrayal of self.
To find your values, think about the default beliefs you hold that influence your behavior every day. It will differ from other Fi users.
Some of mine: giving people the benefit of the doubt, not assuming the worst of them; hurting people and animals is morally wrong; I will be fair and compassionate and try to treat others well.
To go against any of those values would be a betrayal of me; and they are non-negotiable. I may keep my mouth shut sometimes because I am a 6 who doesn't want to get canceled, but if I did the opposite of any of those things, I would feel out of alignment and ashamed.
