Among Generation Z’s everchanging social conventions a concerning mindset has begun to emerge: the idea of being nonchalant.
People attempt to look unbothered, uncaring and aloof, hoping to seem cool among their peers. But this nonchalant attitude, this epidemic of meh, is eating away at what makes us spectacular: our uniqueness.
The problem with not caring is, eventually, it becomes true.
Passions that we were once ecstatic about, hobbies that we cherished, all dwindle as we begin to hide them from others.
The unique hobbies and niche interests that we once held close to us — whether a love for contemporary art or an eccentric collection of vintage coins — are tucked away because enthusiasm makes us vulnerable.
Part of this is because of our fear of being socially chastised by others. Caring too much risks ridicule. It makes us vulnerable.
Being nonchalant offers a solution to this, and might be why it has grown as a mindset. It blocks out the opportunity for others to pick on the things important to us. It lets us hide behind a facade, instead of unapologetically being ourselves.
Throughout my experience from elementary to high school, I have met many peers passionate and unapologetic about who they were, and fully embraces what makes them who they are.
However, as time went on, many of these people slowly abandoned talking about the things they truly cared about. They hid their interests, dimmed their sense of self and lost the personality that once an integral part of them, regressing into cookie-cutter personalities designed to appear cool to others.
While these people may have escaped the unrelenting struggle that comes with being different, they lost the most important part of life along the way: themselves.
Meanwhile, the people who never abandoned what makes them unique are still all here, and have connections with people who did not see them for their contrived, uncaring personality, but for their true, authentic self. They get to experience the joy and freedom with being chalant and caring, as opposed to the restrictive and diminishing personality that comes with the opposite.
When we water down the parts of who we are to make ourselves more appealing to others, we not only sacrifice what makes us unique, we also eliminate the opportunity to connect with people like us and form deeper, genuine connections.
Caring is an integral part of us, and denying it is a loss for ourselves and others.
Do the things that make you happy.
Reject the idea of hiding who you are for others.
Be chalant.
Follow Hamza Zakir (@hamza_a_zakir) and @CHSCampus on X.
