Comparison is widely considered the thief of joy. This popular self-help quote reminds us that the act of measuring yourself against others breeds dissatisfaction and inevitably robs you of happiness. But in today’s social climate, failure to meet the expectations of others doesn’t just make you unhappy; it makes you cringeworthy.
Nowadays, it’s not comparison to our peers that robs us of our happiness, it’s the comparison to impossible standards set in place by unrealistic and oversaturated social media content. The word “cringe” has, in recent years, been popularized on platforms like TikTok as an adjective describing someone or something weird or uncool, causing feelings of secondhand embarrassment.
I say, cringe is the thief of not only joy but of sparkle, peace and individuality.
In the age of social media, Generation Z feels confined to the limits of what is cool and trending. Trends influence us to a new unprecedented degree that makes any sort of individuality feel out of place and unheard of. With the cyber world telling us exactly what to wear, what to eat and who to be.
Those who stray from this prescribed path in any way are harshly labeled as “cringe,” an insult that’s just humiliating enough to bump someone back into line.
But what if we embraced the cringe?
Consider that avoiding being labeled cringe is the one thing standing between you and your full potential. What if cringe is robbing you of your individuality, from getting to know yourself? It’s time to stop concerning yourself with cringe-culture. And this doesn’t just mean ignoring online hate.
Cringe shaming happens to all of us, even in real life by our closest friends. It happens when we’re shushed for speaking too loudly in public or laughed at for unironically listening to Benson Boone.
We’re so rigid with our definitions of “cool” that we leave no room for change. Being called cringy makes you feel stupid, but the reality is these rules don’t exist if you don’t let them.
And we all play a role in this toxic dynamic; everyone has felt the cringe at one point or another. But fighting against it by letting go of what you think is uncool will change the game. Because deeming someone else cringy for singing on top of tables or raising their hand in class is just catering to the toxic culture that bullies us all into submission.
The less you care about the cringe, the more magnetic you’ll become. People are drawn to confidence, and sometimes confidence feels cringe. But once you harness your confidence, it becomes your most valuable superpower.
The moment you decide that you actually don’t really care what people think is the moment you are set free. And don’t stop there. Learn to be addicted to the cringe.
Whatever that means to you. Maybe it’s something small like laughing at your own joke, or maybe it means posting like an influencer for your 46 followers. Anything can be de-cringed with confidence.
People who call you cringe are people who stay in the same place forever. It’s a feeling exclusive to insecure people. Cringe is fake; you are real, so choose to be real.
Just remember that embarrassment is a choice, and the cringiest thing you could ever do is judge someone else for their passion and zest for life.