It is easy to forget how lucky I am surrounded by people who are unabashed in their love of things. Perhaps the bubble is real, because whenever I step out of it, or interact with the average person, I am reminded of how that passion isn't the norm, and is in fact, widely considered "cringe." There is an inherent self-defense mechanism that stems from engaging with passion or "overzealousness" that a person may have. I think it's the fact that recognizing passion requires more social effort to process and understand and engage with. Why do that when calling someone cringe is easier? I think I'm on to something, because being passionate is *hard*. It's hard to put yourself out there and showcase the love you feel for something, particularly a hobby that you enjoy. Its a level of vulnerability that I think the average person is adverse towards, and that would only be further exasperated by people that say you're being cringe or doing too much or whatever new term we're using to make apathy the de facto state in everyone's lives. ![[Cringe or Mean-20241212075613946.png]][^1] I say "new term" because this has been a thing at least since I was a kid. In fact, I'd say being passionate in a hobby has gotten a little easier now compared to when I was in middle and high school, thankfully. But that social self-defense mechanism definitely hasn't gone away fully, if my conversations with my coworkers and nephews are anything to go by. ![[Cringe or Mean-20241212075546937.png]] Here's the thing: a hobby is born from liking something *so damn much* that you will literally explode if you don't do something about it, and I think that's a beautiful thing. The only reason I can write at all is because I loved books so much that I wanted to learn how to do it myself. The only reason I have this blog is because I [[My Favorite Games - Top 10 - Part 1#^076642|loved a game about a wolf lady so much that I needed to tell the world about it]]. Whenever you call yourself or someone else cringe, you're risking snuffing out art that the world might not have otherwise. Can you truly look yourself in the mirror and be happy with that? Some people are, and I'll never understand that. Being cringe isn't real. This isn't news to anyone that I think is going to read this, and I realize that I'm throwing a droplet into a monsoon of similar sentiment, but maybe some irony-poisoned person will read this and realize that they're doing nothing for themselves whenever they feel everyone around them is "doing too much." ![[Cringe or Mean-20241212075729559.png]] The truth is that stepping out of your comfort zone to write silly reviews about media, or learning how to do a K-pop dance, or dressing up as a Homestuck character, or learning how to skate at 30, or learning how to sing, makes you incredibly strong. You are, in fact, stronger than anyone for caring about something - anything - deeply. There is a beauty to unadulterated passion that nothing else can match. I truly believe that it's what makes us human, and should be embraced. To do otherwise is holding yourself back. Enjoy things to whatever extent *you* want. I once saw a comment that said something like, "you're allowed to be cringe, but we're allowed to make fun of you for it." Let's say that I *am* cringe. That's fine. But you're simply mean, and I know which of the two I'd choose. [^1]: The only reason I am who I am today is because I loved this game too much