To be cringe is to be free
At the end of our lives, none of us wants to look back with regret. You don’t want to realize you spent years trying to be a perfect version of yourself that pleased everyone else, but kept you from meeting who you truly are.
Embarrassment is just a mindset. It is a facade that stops us from unlocking our potential. Everyone should harness the mindset that it’s not embarrassing if you choose not to be embarrassed. So what if you slipped in front of the person you like or said the wrong thing to someone important? Life goes on whether you hang your head in shame or laugh it off. Why not choose the latter?
In the wise words of Taylor Swift, “In your life, you will inevitably misspeak, trust the wrong person, underreact, overreact, hurt people who didn’t deserve it, overthink, not think at all, ruin perfectly good moments for yourself and others.”
Embrace those imperfections, they’re proof that you’re human. Mistakes are how we learn and grow stronger.
Especially at a young age, we can become obsessed with creating an image others will approve of. But the truth is, life gains color and character when you let yourself stumble, laugh and be unapologetically yourself. When you shine your authentic self, the right people will be drawn to your light.
Don’t back down in the face of judgment. Of course, people will look when you step outside the box, but not all eyes are negative. The truth is, embarrassment isn’t real; it’s just fear in disguise. And if someone doesn’t like you when you’re being your truest self, you’ve simply filtered out the wrong crowd. Growth lives on the other side of that fear.
Dance wildly at the party. Laugh loudly even when others stare. Keep shining while the snakes snicker with envy. Freedom, self-love and confidence are fierce, don’t be embarrassed about it.
As Austin Butler said, “Embarrassment is an underexploited emotion. Go out there and make a fool of yourself. Feel that fear of cringe and do it anyway. Everything you’ve wanted is on the other side of that.”
Don’t let fear keep you from trying new things or reaching out to someone you care about. To be “cringe” is to be free. Anyone who judges you is just too afraid to do what you can.
At the end of the day, embarrassment is a choice. That conversation with your professor wasn’t awkward, that joke you made wasn’t weird, it was perfectly you. Stop overthinking and allow yourself to experience life fully. The imperfect version of you is the best version. Being mysterious or guarded only keeps you from embracing life’s joy.
We all have moments when we wish we had said or done something differently, but remember, it’s your life and you are the one in control of how you feel. Never change your path to please others.
So, next time you feel embarrassed, lean into it. Laugh at that feeling of cringe, release the negative energy tied to it and move on. It was never that deep. Life keeps moving forward, bumpy road or not, might as well enjoy every minute that you can and continue to be authentically yourself.