267. Why Being Basic Isn’t A Bad Thing
Being “basic” or “vanilla” seems to always be somewhat of a topic of conversation. And I admit, not too many people lean into it. Some people do, but from what I’ve seen, there’s somewhat of a “war” between those who feel they are inherently too interesting or obscure to be basic, and those who are living and breathing it, enjoying their lives. Admittedly, when one group is particularly angry, we can often times point to where the problem lies.
I somewhat thought this was an interesting topic, not even because of what basic metaphorically means, but also because of the dichotomy between the two groups. I think that the dichotomy philosophy could be interesting, but I suppose I’m more zoned into the metaphysical components.
To clarify the definition, basic simply means someone who has more “basic” interests. In other words, more common interests. These interests, by some, may be considered cheesy or cliche because of how popularized they are. In some ways, these interests or things may have in the process, lost a bit of meaning. In other words, there’s not much “interest” to be grabbed by others in the collective.
When I read those who are more “basic” people with basic interests and hobbies, their energies are more “flatlined”. A lot of people panic when I say flatlined energy, as if they aren’t alive, but it’s certainly not that. “Flatlined” energy means more stable and consistent energy. These people likely do not have lots of peaks of ups and downs. While it’s true that in some cases, this can mean for a more “boring” life, i also means that you’re likely able to achieve longer periods of happiness, as you aren’t in a constant state of emotional flux. Perhaps it would be wrong to say it’s “ideal” to have this state of being, but we certainly do live many years, so it’s important to retain a level of consistency in order to not burn out. So to sum up, “flatlined” energy isn’t bad.
As a result of flatlined energy, they may actually have more energy and motivation to power through, unlike others with multiple peaks. This can definitely be a strength. But the idea of “basic” interests means something very interesting.
When you have familiar interests with the collective, it means that you’re tapping into these wavelengths. You are in essence, connecting with others. As a result, those with this energy may have lots of empathy. And because they are tapping into the general collective, they may understand or be good at many different things. Since they have many interests in common with others, they may be persuasive, be good communicators, and others may not be very intimidated by them.
Now, this isn’t to say that those who aren’t basic don’t have strengths. I just think that we tend to bypass these “basic” strengths. In some ways, they are really the “people’s people”.
I suppose that one could assume that those who taunt others for their basic-ness may be struggling with issues of insecurity regarding their worth, their connection, and perhaps their interests and identity overall. I would also imagine there’s some difficulty or frustration aligning to their most authentic selves.
It may be challenging to figure out which group you fall into. But I suspect we’re all a combination of both. To be honest, I now recall that this topic was based on similar experiences of mine. Since my fields of interest are metaphysics, it’s somewhat bizarre that I’m so obsessed with pop culture. but I take it in stride, and acknowledge that we’re all complex human beings. The best advice is to simply… follow your interests, authentically. No need to get caught up in either or, this is just some “vindication” for the basic girls and guys out there :)
