We’ve all done it — huddled in our bed at night watching a poorly written and acted show, listening to a band you used to like in junior high or even buying ourselves multiple little treats in one day. While society often tells us that these moments are defined as “guilty pleasures,” where’s the harm in having a little fun?
The Weight of It All
In our modern era, you think such a seemingly ancient belief would lose its applicability, but we’ve only grown more guilty. The knowledge that any moment we spend outside of our room could be documented and shared takes away from the frictionless enjoyment of life. Even what we do in secret seems socially dooming regardless of how many other likes and views are on the same content you consume.
Often, we reflect back on how we had more “muchness” as kids — referring to the fullness of our personalities and curiosities. As we begin to feel increasingly bad and belittled about what interests or activities set us apart, we lose this muchness that gave us such an unrestricted feeling of joy.
According to The New Yorker, “For Aristotle, the pleasure associated with honorable action was virtue, whereas the pleasure associated with “evil action” was vice—a genuine mix of guilt and pleasure by another name.” However, Aristotle never knew how good it feels to eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in one sitting.
Embracing the Cringe
It’s time to develop a new philosophy from the greatest minds of our generation that allows us to enjoy life without constantly looking over our shoulders out of fear that we won’t get approval. The only person who permits your joy to be stolen is you.
How many times has a once cherished shirt become pajamas due to one cruel comment? When was the last time and said you loved a song knowing you’ve never even heard the title? These little white lies don’t harm our social status, but they force us to condense ourselves into palatable parts.
Learning to embrace the more “cringeworthy” parts of your life teaches you how to accept yourself without the friendship filters overlaid. Don’t feel guilty for standing out, feel sad for those who don’t recognize they’re worth more when they’re whole.
Feels Good Being Bad
Once you start being more unapologetically open about your interests, you’ll start to find that they were never that embarrassing in the first place. You don’t necessarily need to wear your heart on your selves, but adding those keychains to your backpack can be a great start.
Enjoy yourself not every now and again, but throughout each phase of your life. Don’t even dare look back years from now in horror either because how can you be horrified if you were happy? Self-authenticity is not something easily obtained or maintained as we continue to discover ourselves daily. Despite this instability, we shouldn’t stop seeking out our truest selves.
Although it’s hard to let go of the guilt, just remember that being a little bad can be good for us sometimes. Rebellion makes for historical stories and fresh character development. Continue to pursue your pleasures but leave the guilt in the gutter.
What is your “guilty pleasure?” Let us know @VALLEYmag on X!
Related
http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/enjoy-the-butterflies/
http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/fill-your-own-cup-first/
http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/we-were-never-supposed-to-see-ourselves/
