Most of us have heard the phrase “that’s so basic” at some point or another. Maybe you said your favourite One Direction song was “What Makes You Beautiful” or you said that your favourite TV show was Gossip Girl and you were met with a scrunched-up face and the infamous remark: “that’s so basic”. But why does the word “basic” have such a negative connotation around it? What’s wrong with liking popular things? Personally, I don’t believe it’s something that we should be ashamed of; things are well-liked for a reason, right? So why has it always been trendy to shame others for going with the majority? Let’s delve into why it’s important to be able to proudly like what you like!
For a long time, it was bad to like popular things and be in the status quo, from the way you dressed, to what you enjoyed watching or even what your favourite food was. It can be incredibly annoying to wear mom jeans and a white t-shirt and have your one passive-aggressive friend say “Ugh, you look so basic”. So why does being different mean that you’re automatically better than everyone else? Trying to go out of your way just to not be basic while simultaneously putting down others for going with the status quo doesn’t make you special. True authenticity lies in not being afraid to do what you want.
Self-expression is important in this day and age. We don’t have time to stop and cater to other people when the world is changing so rapidly. At the end of it, we’ll be sitting, remembering all the times we chose not to wear a shirt that’s trending on social media because we were afraid of being made fun of or being called basic. It’s so much more important to do what feels right and good to you, and if that means looking like everyone else, so be it. It shouldn’t matter as long as you’re happy. Catering to other people in order to avoid being basic is counterintuitive once we really examine it. We’re actively trying to not be basic to please others, but just by trying to fit in, we’re not being true to ourselves. We’re not letting ourselves like what we like.
There isn’t really an easy fix to this problem. There may be no fix at all. At the end of the day, we have to remember that we are the ones living our lives and it’s not worth it to fret over the opinions of others. If liking what’s popular makes you happy, so be it. Life is short and our enjoyment should not be determined by others. Remember who you are and remember that you deserve to enjoy life at its fullest.