The Graff Journal

Entry #2 – Cringe

Acting silly when the moment calls for it. Dancing while out on a run. Dancing to a song that’s too good to ignore. These are all things l’ve found myself doing more over the past year.

It makes me wonder: why are these things considered “cringe” or “weird”? At what point did genuine expression become something we’re expected to be embarrassed by?

Maybe I’m not even particularly happy that day. Maybe I’m stressed, anxious, or stuck in my own head. But if a song comes on that makes me want to move, why fight it? Why let the fear of being perceived stop something so harmless?

I’ve started caring less about how I’m seen and more about how l feel. There’s something freeing about allowing yourself to exist without constantly performing for everyone else’s expectations.

Maybe cringe is just authenticity viewed through the lens of people too afraid to join in.