Extending research on optimal self-esteem and authenticity, three studies tested the hypothesis that authenticity would be a stronger predictor of self-esteem levels when time was perceived as limited as opposed to open ended. Study 1 provided a cross-sectional examination of the relationship between authenticity, future time perspective, and self-esteem in an adult sample, and Studies 2 and 3 assessed this relationship using repeated measures methodologies across both the short term and long term in college student samples. Results supported the hypothesis that authenticity would be a stronger predictor of self-esteem levels when time was perceived as limited. Across studies, individuals who felt inauthentic reported lower levels of self-esteem when they perceived time as limited.