On my way home yesterday, I listened to Sky Ferreira’s 2013 hit Everything is Embarrassing. Although it is a song about romantic angst, I thought the title was a perfect encapsulation of my generation’s existential dread.

Embarrassment is a normal feeling, but for Gen Z, we are the first generation to come of age with a permanent, digital record of our lives. Hyper-awareness of our digital footprint has created a constant state of collective surveillance over every wrong or “cringe” move. 

This fear of being “cringe” is a direct product of online cancel culture: a single mistake can be weaponized into a lifetime of infamy. So, what does any logical person do in this situation? We overthink every post and bold idea, deciding our lives based on what is least likely to earn mockery.

A recent poll found that “55% of those surveyed said [the fear of being “cringe”] had stopped them from opening up emotionally,” which has devastating consequences. But, is it shameful to want to achieve our dreams? Is it embarrassing to try? 

The people we admire, like artists, entrepreneurs, or activists, are people who put themselves out there by accepting the possibility of failure and ridicule as the price of admission to greatness. Take Stephen King, for example. His manuscript for Carrie was not perfect on the first try. He was rejected by publishers 30 times before it became a hit. Being “cringe” and different is the birthplace of something greater—of genius.

It is time to embrace your “cringe.” The world doesn’t need more polished (and ultimately dull) people. It needs dreamers who aren’t afraid to look a little foolish chasing their dreams; nothing is embarrassing about that.