I read a TikTok slideshow about how we attach our personalities to the things we buy like Labubu’s, matcha, vintage clothing, etc., etc. and it really woke me up. It made me realize how often we treat objects like identity badges, hoping they’ll somehow communicate who we are to the world. But maybe we don’t need to buy a personality. Maybe it’s okay to just be you without the aesthetic, without the branding, without needing to “match” a vibe.
The phrase “to be cringe is to be free” has been living rent-free in my head, and honestly, it resonates. Because at the end of the day, who really cares what other people think? Okay, I do sometimes. I’m human. But when I quiet the noise, I know the truest version of myself isn’t curated, it’s just me. Messy, weird, sincere. And I think that’s enough.
We’re not the sum of what we consume. We’re allowed to just exist, unbranded, unfiltered, and still whole.
I think I’m not my truest self yet, but I’m getting there and I really do hope my truest self reflects beautifully to the people around me.