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MUJ | Culture

Is it Cringe Or Are You Too Afraid To Take The Limelight?

Avni Singh Student Contributor, Manipal University Jaipur
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MUJ chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

POV: A bunch of happy adults.

SCENE: 

She posted a video of herself doing silly things with her friends like screaming her lungs out while riding on a two-wheeler in the open sky, laughing out loud in a garden or on the streets, dressing up “more than she is supposed to”, being childish with their boyfriend/girlfriend or just being her their absolute self. 

COMMENTS:

“Ngl, it was cringe, though the girls were hot.”

“Funnn!! But it’d be cringe if we did it.”

“Why is she so overdressed? They weren’t going to a wedding!”

“CRINGE ALERT!!”

“Seeing these people, I feel happy I didn’t do these shitty and uncomfortable activities.”

And many more.

You’ll come across countless comments like these under the reels of people who are simply… happy or just trying to live their life. And in a world where so many of us deal with mental unwellness, where being happy or experiencing happiness feels like a BIG DEAL to people in certain phases of life, what’s wrong in doing things that genuinely make you happy?

Think like, some friends are just laughing, being a bit loud unconsciously, roasting each other reliving memories and suddenly they notice people staring and judging. Why? Because they “dared” living the moment. And thanks to those people, they’ll start to become conscious about being “too” happy in public. Isn’t living life to the fullest, the bare minimum one should do?

three women with face masks
Anna Shvets

At the end of the day, you’ll always meet people who dislike you being on top or outshining amongst others. They can’t even fully live in the fear of being judged. Nonsense!

It’s hard to get out of pain when you’ve been there for quite a long. It’s like pain may get out of you, but you can’t get out of pain. As always, your wounds will end up hurting others, that’s also a reason to heal yourself till a certain level before getting in THE relationship. 

You have to make sure your world revolves around you only (in the positive terms, I’m talking yk). I mean, it’s literally your life. If you don’t love yourself, then who ,exactly, will? Basically, you’ll be criticized by one and appreciated by another, but neither should define your actions.

You have to be really kind to yourself first, and then to others. You have no idea how vulnerable a soul can already be.

Hence, it’s better to be cringey than being unhappy and non-cringey.

For more, follow up on Avni Singh | Her Campus and Her Campus at MUJ.

Avni Singh

MUJ '27

Avni Singh is an Editor at Her Campus at Manipal University Jaipur, where she shapes stories that are both reflective and emotionally authentic. She's a member of the core editorial team, shepherding stories that stick with you and editing with instinct. She applies a keen eye and a gentle heart to the words that cross her desk. Avni brings an observant, contemplative eye into each work she touches — whether it's wrapped in sarcasm, tenderly, or something in between.

She is studying B.Tech in Data Science and Engineering — a career path she took out of curiosity, and she pursues it with patience (and likely caffeine). Books and blank pages have long been her constants — places where she can feel too much and still make it beautiful. She doesn't always do what's trendy, but she speaks the language of the kind of expression that counts.

Apart from deadlines and Google Docs, Avni is fueled by playlists, personality-infused wardrobes, emotional resonance, and daydreaming like a side hustle. She believes in writing that reflects real feelings, romanticizing the mundane, and reading between the lines of everything. She's here to hold the pen softly — and still make it bite. If you give her your story, she will likely rewrite it as a lyric by the end of the day.