Self Perception is a strange thing. Most people are able to perceive themselves, even if only in relation to other people. The majority of us suffer from some form of comparison, wishing we looked like someone else or had a skill that someone else does. While self-perception and self-awareness are different, the two are often confused. Self-perception and the following criticism are disguised as self-awareness, using awareness as a scapegoat for our self-judgment. This criticism is only perpetuated by cringe culture, which creates an avenue for further judgment. But cringe culture is a product of our own creation, so why does it matter?

Cringe culture was designed on the premise that certain (non-morally corrupt) things are embarrassing. And sure, we’re allowed to think certain things are strange (I think Crocs are weird), but instead of allowing our opinions to come and go, we’ve created our collective circus, with certain individuals as the spectacle. But just because I think Crocs are strange doesn’t mean an entire group of people should be ridiculed because of my belief. This extends to most things, whether it be using the crying laughing emoji or openly liking an unpopular band. Everything we’ve deemed “cringy” is based solely on our perception of other people, but as it slowly seeps into others’ psyche, it becomes a significant contributor to our own self-perception.

If self-perception can be poisoned by cringe culture, how do we cleanse our own minds? To be honest, I’m not sure. But in my opinion, I’d believe the best way to combat the pervasive nature of cringe culture is irritatingly simple. Decide nothing is “cringy.” Presenting yourself to the world, however, you choose to do so, is a very conscious decision. Even for those who believe fashion doesn’t affect them. Dressing like you don’t care about fashion makes you a critical part of the fashion realm. You are, after all, an entire demographic the industry must cater to (you do still need clothes). So even if you shop at Walmart because ‘who cares enough about fashion to drop more than six bucks on a shirt,’ you are a functioning member of the fashion world. It is within these conscious and subconscious preferences that we subtly define who we are to the outside world. And while it’s socially acceptable to not care about fashion, we find fault in many other forms of expression. Whether it be in what we wear, what music we like, or how we exist on social media, everything faces the jury of public opinion.

Growing up in the age of social media, you live in a perpetual contradiction. You’re expected to have all forms of social media but are practically forbidden from posting anything that might be considered “cringy.” I suppose that’s why many aspiring creatives are discouraged early in life. They quickly shift from the celebration of creativity seen in their young years to the shunning of originality seen in their teenage. In a time where vlogging is cringy unless it’s aesthetic, and filming in public is always weird, young people fear the pursuit of their passions, believing that their expression will be deemed cringy. Self-expression is one of the most intimate processes one can experience alone. To criticize one’s self-expression can be crushing, sending them down a path of self-doubt and criticism.

Self-criticism and cringe culture are the killers of creativity. And while we are all subjected to it, it would do us some good to remember a cardinal rule. So long as it is innocent, genuine, and harmless, nothing is cringy. So long as it is an innocent expression of the art your heart compels you to make, nothing is cringy. So write that screenplay, film yourself in public, start that vlog, and love your own art.