UPinion: Thinking Everything is Cringe Makes Life Miserable

By Sophia Masi

Edited by Taylor Morgan

liz / @postr4vemaximalist on Pinterest

Over my teenage years and now into my early twenties, I noticed a trend among my peers. The words “cringe” and “embarrassing” were seemingly thrown into every conversation possible. I was a victim of this as well. Ages 15 through 19 I thought almost everything was somehow “embarrassing” and I truly feel like this held me back from reaching my potential and taking advantage of opportunities that came about. Or sometimes it wasn’t even that deep, just dumb stuff that affected my everyday life. I remember when I was a freshman in college, someone said it was “embarrassing” to use an umbrella on campus… I’m not even joking. 

This “cringe” epidemic applies to other things, too, though, and it has started to burden people from doing what they truly want. I have had so many friends say they want to start posting on TikTok or even casually post on Instagram, but they are too scared because it’s “cringey.” But how do you think Alix Earle got her start? Addison Rae is now a touring Pop Star who originally rose to fame posting dancing videos on TikTok. How do you expect things to just happen for you without trying a little bit first? 

Online, things become so much more saturated, and we even come up with new fake words and constructs we then think we have to follow—“cheugy,” for example. Somehow, that means out of date and ugly? Someone will pick out something they like, and then the thought of it being cheugy will completely dissuade them from purchasing it. As I have written about before, I think this generation's main problem is changing your desires and thoughts because of other people. 

But the smallest things have become somehow “embarrassing” for this generation. Carrying an umbrella for one… being alone another. I never understood the stigma around being alone. It’s okay to not be with your friends all the time and enjoy your own company or thoughts. Go on a walk, take yourself to dinner. Exposure therapy is the best way to get around this fear of embarrassment. The key to not being embarrassed or thinking everything is cringe is being secure in yourself and your choices. Own the things you like and the way you live your life. 

When someone is constantly calling other people cringe or thinking about how everything is somehow “embarrassing,” I cannot imagine they are having much fun in their own life. Things are only seen as “embarrassing” for the most part because they are made from social constructs that are quite literally made up and not real. You can do whatever you want and be okay with that decision. 

Now, I believe there are exceptions, and obviously, there are things that truly are cringey and embarrassing. One of my favorite reads this past month was "Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?" by Chanté Joseph at Vogue. This takes a very different approach to the word “embarrassing,” though, and truly dives deep into why and how it fits into the equation and makes us hold up a mirror, looking at ourselves, our society and the relationships we hold on social media. 

How I freed myself from this loop of cringe and embarrassment, stealing joy out of my life, was through detachment. Detachment from others’ opinions and rewiring my brain a little bit. I would 100% rather do something I want to or pursue something I love with the chance of other people thinking I am cringey, than not doing something and always thinking everything is too embarrassing to actually try. Not trying is embarrassing. 

When thinking about this, the biggest question of all is who cares? Who actually cares? Most of the time, people are not sitting around thinking about something you did and how cringey it was. And if you are one of the people making fun of someone shooting their shot at social media, or having fun with their friends or being somewhere alone, that might be a you issue, and something you should probably try and change… because honestly, making fun of people for something they enjoy is the cringiest thing of all.