Growing up, I was always terrified of being seen as “ cringe .” Of course, back then, we just called it “weird” or “annoying,” two labels I received frequently from my older brothers. And while I tried my best not to be known as someone’s “embarrassing little sister,” I just couldn’t escape my own identity.

I mean, come on…I’m a writer . It’s basically my job to be cringey, especially when drafting heartfelt poetry and dramatic fiction novels.

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But back in middle school, high school, and even well into college, I rejected these adjectives and tried my best to fit in with the rest of my peers. It wasn’t until I entered the real world and unlearned my own self-loathing that I was able to discover—and return to—who I truly am: a passionate, creative, and painfully awkward yet semi-charming woman. Or, as the internet would call me, cringey .

This got me thinking: why are some of our best attributes, most fulfilling passions, and most freeing moments considered cringey?…