When I was in seventh grade, I met a girl who seemed effortlessly cool. But I later noticed that she lacked the aplomb to express herself. She advised me to get rid of my Scooby-Doo water bottle, as people would make fun of me for it. When I told her I didn’t care, she seemed surprised, and months later at the end of the school year, she told me she would miss my confidence.
This was a long time ago, but I still see how people are easily impressed by others’ genuine exuberance about their likes, as if it’s odd for someone to devote time to what interests them. On the other hand, I hear people hold back on talking about their interests because they don’t want to seem too weird or obsessed. Or they’re afraid they’ll be made fun of because their interests are considered childish and immature.
However, there’s still a stigma against both adults liking things too much and adults liking things aimed at children. Adults will declare their love for video games or young adult novels and announce, “I’m an adult.” I’ve heard this phrase used as an expression of unabashed interest in something whether it’s buying comic books or anime posters. But it wouldn’t be necessary to reaffirm adulthood if our society didn’t make fun of those who enjoy things with the enthusiasm of a child.
In the same vein, watching something animated doesn’t make you a child. Liking a children’s book doesn’t make you incapable of understanding life and collecting toys doesn’t make you infantile. Similarly, enjoying something that isn’t targeted toward your age group isn’t wrong, and ultimately, you shouldn’t be afraid to express your enjoyment of something.
Your likes and interests are a part of your personality and you should never feel shamed for expressing yourself. Enthusiasm should never be a reason for people to brush you off as immature or childish. Growing up doesn’t mean rejecting things you enjoy; it means growing as a person and becoming more responsible.
Becoming a mature adult doesn’t mean you have to stop liking things that others think aren’t for adults. It means becoming more capable of learning from your mistakes and making the right decisions. Being an adult means doing better each day, trying to do the right thing, and treating others with respect. It has nothing to do with acting silly or getting way too excited about things you like. It does have everything to do with endeavoring to be a better person.
I’ve heard people hold back in conversations out of fear of what others would think of their interests. They’ll say with a blush, “I’m letting my nerd show” or “I don’t want to seem obsessed.” It’s subtle but the weight of the stigmas they live under are always there.
Thankfully, I don’t see too much of this stigma these days as it seems that judging people based on their interests is something my former classmate was more concerned about than my current peers are. While there’s always going to be social pressures in college, most students are accepting of other people’s likes, even when they don’t agree with them.
You don’t need to hide yourself. Being excited about something you love isn’t a sign that you need more to do with your life. The world can be so much better when you let your enthusiasm shine through. Enjoy what you love. Be a nerd, a computer geek, a social media guru, a Disney fan, a movie trivia master, a wannabe superhero, a wedding enthusiast, a TV show addict. Love what you love unironically. We’re all still growing, still learning, and still discovering.
