Cringeworthy

Anyone who has ever achieved anything great knows what it means to be cringe.

Writing this very post will probably be judged as cringe, but that’s the point. Who cares? As soon as I care about someone else’s judgment of me, I’m already retreating to safety and comfort. And nothing great was ever created from that hell.

I recently read an X post by the CEO of Shopify, Harley Finkelstein, showing a simple yet effective graphic that tells this story perfectly.

The path to results is “being cringe.” Other than the dictionary definition of being embarrassed by an action that is not considered normal, what does it mean to be “cringe?” My definition of cringe is being most authentic to one’s values to achieve your desired result.

If others view your commitment, consistency, and discipline as cringeworthy, who cares? Whose energy is it? Yours. Someone else’s cringe may be my normal, which is really only defined by each person.

Now, this isn’t to say that criticism and feedback aren’t helpful or welcome, but pure judgment of action as cringe is one’s attempt at stifling the soul.

Next time you hesitate to start something new, something uncomfortable, just remember, you’re simply anticipating someone else’s judgment of you.

This is your opportunity to create something cringeworthy.