Something I’ve been noticing lately—about my generation, or at least what I’m noticing around me—is how much the definition of “cool” has shifted. And in a way that feels off.
There’s this energy right now where not caring is the vibe.
Not caring how you present yourself.
Not caring how you treat people.
Not caring about your health, your work, your future.
And somehow, that’s what’s being praised.
Getting overly messed up on a night out and posting it.
Pulling all-nighters and documenting it like it’s a cool personality trait.
Saying things that are borderline disrespectful or inappropriate—and putting it online for everyone to see.
And the part that really gets me is that there are people watching. People being influenced. People quietly taking notes on what they think they should be.
But to me… that’s never been cool.
What’s actually cool—what I don’t think gets talked about enough—IS CARING!
Caring is cool.
Putting your heart into something is cool.
Having standards is cool.
I think it’s cool to wake up and care about your life.
To care about your health—what you’re eating, how you’re sleeping, how you feel in your body.
To go to the gym not for aesthetics, but because you respect yourself enough to take care of yourself.
I think it’s cool to care about your work. To show up on time. To be reliable. To be someone people can count on without having to second guess it.
There was a time—not even that long ago—where being respectful, being present, and following through weren’t things you posted about… they were just who you were. You didn’t need validation for it. You just showed up, handled your life, and had fun.
Because caring shows up in so many ways.
It shows up in how you speak to people.
In whether you actually listen when someone is talking.
In whether you leave someone feeling better after interacting with you—or slightly worse.
Genuine interaction feels rare right now. And I don’t think it should be.
I think it’s cool to care about your friends.
To care about their character.
To pay attention to how they speak about you when you’re not around—and how you feel when you are.
I think it’s cool to be intentional about who you surround yourself with. To look around and feel proud of the people you’re next to.
Because we’ve all had moments when we have been out, looked around, and thought…
Why am I here?
Not in a judgmental way—but in a self-aware way.
Like, if someone met me right now, would this reflect who I actually am?
And if the answer is no… that matters.
I think it’s cool to care about your growth.
To want more for yourself—not in a loud, performative way—but in a quiet, steady, intentional way.
To not stay stagnant.
To evolve in your relationships, your career, your mindset.
And I think part of growth that doesn’t get talked about enough is staying connected to yourself while you grow.
It feels like “cool” has also become doing what everyone else is doing.
Same places.
Same opinions.
Same aesthetics.
Same routines.
Same versions of ourselves packaged slightly differently.
And don’t get me wrong—I love inspiration. I love trends. I love seeing people create and evolve and experiment.
But I think there’s a difference between being inspired and becoming disconnected from yourself.
Because to me, authenticity is cool.
Just genuinely knowing yourself.
Knowing what you like.
Knowing what you don’t.
Knowing where you came from.
Knowing what actually feels good in your body, your mind, your life.
And allowing yourself to change without abandoning those things.
Change is beautiful.
We’re supposed to evolve. We’re supposed to outgrow things. We’re supposed to become new versions of ourselves.
I think growth is becoming more of who you already are.
And I think deep down, most people know the difference.
You know when something feels exciting and aligned.
And you know when you’re doing something because everyone else is doing it.
You know when you’re posting something because you genuinely love it.
And you know when you’re posting it because you think you should.
I just think there’s something really special about people who stay rooted in themselves.
People who don’t need everyone else’s approval to know who they are.
People who could walk into a room where nobody dresses like them, thinks like them, or validates them—and still leave feeling completely like themselves.
That energy feels rare.
And maybe that’s the spiritual side of it all.
Trusting yourself enough to know the difference between what’s coming from your own soul—and what’s coming from wanting to belong.
I think it’s cool to have goals.
To write things down.
To know where you’re going—even if you’re still figuring out how to get there.
I think it’s cool to care about your finances—but to speak about them with class.
There’s a difference between being transparent and being careless.
Not everything needs to be broadcasted. Not everything needs to be joked about.
There’s power in moving with a little bit of privacy and intention.
I think it’s cool to have morals.
To know what you believe in—and to stand on it.
But also to stay open enough to grow and change, because growth is part of the process.
I think it’s cool to care about what’s going on in the world.
To have your own thoughts, your own opinions—and to be able to hear others without turning everything into conflict.
And more than anything…
I think it’s cool to care about the energy you bring into a room.
The way you make people feel.
The way you carry yourself when no one is watching.
The standards you hold yourself to when it would be easier not to.
Because at the end of the day, not caring isn’t effortless—it’s empty.
And caring?
Caring takes intention.
Caring takes discipline.
Caring takes self-respect.
And to me, that will always be cooler than pretending nothing matters.
Anyway… these are just my thoughts.
You definitely don’t have to agree with me.
I’m just a girl with too many observations, too many thoughts, and a Notes app that probably deserves its own apartment at this point.
Maybe I overthink things. Maybe I romanticize life a little too much. Maybe I care too much.
But I think caring is kind of the point.
Maybe that’s the Pisces in me.
And maybe caring this much isn’t cool anymore.
But oh well.
I like caring.
And these are the things I randomly think about.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Ted Talk.
xo,
Ty