5 Ways To Avoid Being So Damn Basic

Urban dictionary defines basic as “Something that is uninteresting, vapid, boring, or uncool.” Being basic is a lifestyle that is often comprised with such things like having a best friend named Netflix, a steamy relationship with Ben & Jerry, and a daily selfie partner that is a cat (or worse, a fish). In order to avoid being basic, there are several proactive measures you can take – that is, if you don’t just simply wake up like this.

1. Stop saying things to impress people.

When you say you have seen a movie you never actually watched, or read a book you don’t know the first thing about, you are leaving yourself open to looking like an absolute fool when someone asks you a simple question about the subject. Lying to come off as cultured or intelligent is one of the lowest forms of basicness, because it only further proves just how basic you are. Not only did you not see the super cool movie everyone is talking about, but you’re lying to make it seem like you did (whereas you were probably just busy binge-watching Sex and the City and wishing one day you too could walk in heels like Sarah Jessica.

The best thing you could possibly do in a situation where everyone is discussing something you have no idea about is purse your lips and bite your tongue. When asked if you had partaken in whatever it is everyone is discussing, give a simple laugh and quick shrug of your shoulders. All you need to say at this point is, “No, I haven’t. I’ve wanted to for some time, but you know how busy I always am…” People will get the point. You’re too much of a boss to even have time to relish in the everyday trivial pursuits of basics.

2. Smile often.

When you aren’t basic, you are bound to have people who would love nothing more than to see your demise. Even on your worst day, flash those teeth and remind those basics that you are unbothered by the petty dramas and mishaps of the day. No no, you are on your way to a lovely event with really interesting and attractive like-minded people. Even if you are actually just going home to curl up to a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of your liquor store’s cheapest wine, nobody needs to know that but you and whoever is responsible for paying your Netflix subscription. To everyone else, you should appear in the world as if you are on top of your game, never missing a single beat, and unfathomed by your lowlife haters.

3. Know your competition, and crush them.

In order to not be basic, you must be the exact opposite: a boss. In order to be a boss, you need to excel in the areas of your life you have found a passion for; whether it’s dressing like the next Kim Kardashian, cooking like the next Rachel Ray, or singing like the next Beyoncé. Competition is one of the healthiest ways in life to get ahead, and if you are a true boss by nature and mentality, there should be no greater feeling than crushing your opponents and leaving them to sulk in the aftermath of your brilliance and domination. Always know that when you are working to accomplish a goal, there is someone else out there trying to do the same thing. Destroy them.

4. Love yourself.

Even when you are not basic, there will be moments in your life where you are single, friendless, and alone. Don’t even for a minute begin to feel that this is a permanent stage of your life, and that nobody will ever love you. Of course someone will love you. You’re you. And if someone you want to love you doesn’t, that doesn’t reflect on who you are whatsoever. That’s their loss. That’s their shit they have to sleep with at night. Throw on your latest and greatest outfit and spend the weekend out. You’ll forget about them in a week, and if you keep working towards being a boss, they’ll one day be sitting in their pizza box apartment wishing they had you.

5. Be original.

There is nothing more important to avoid being basic than to be your own, true self. In all honesty, nobody is actually born basic. It is a hardship that dawns on people after too many carbs and too little life experiences. It happens when people lie, cheat, steal and act in ways that do not adhere to a higher, more intellect level of class that makes someone turn into a basic. By remaining true to yourself, you can never be basic. If you feel like you standout like a sore thumb in a crowd or a group, then you are doing something right. You’re shining. Let them soak it in. They’ll be cheering your name one day.