I’d Rather Be Kind Than ‘Cool’

 Jeff Isy
Jeff Isy

I’d rather be real than play a game I’m not good at. I’d rather learn from my own mistakes than follow someone else’s path.

I’d rather say what I feel and be vulnerable instead of trying to act like I’m chill or that I don’t care.

I’d rather stand out than fit in.

Everyone says you need to be aloof, you need to be distant, you need to be guarded but no one tells you to be brave, to be sensitive, to feel and to be kind.

You have to always be cool and nonchalant, you have to always be nice but distant, you have to be chill and not too excited about anything or anyone — you have to let people come to you and you have to always show that you’re the one who cares less. 

And even though I understand the reason behind this kind of behavior and how it protects you from getting hurt, I’d rather be the girl who just goes for it.

I’d rather be the girl who tried and failed instead of the girl who played it safe. I’d rather be the girl who fell instead of the girl who never dared to jump.

I’d rather be the girl who took a chance and told someone how she feels instead of wondering what could’ve been.

I’d rather be the girl who broke the rules than the one who followed them.

I’d rather be the girl who lives the truth than the girl who lives a lie.

I’d rather crash in my own waves than swim in someone else’s sea.

It’s nice to be cool but it’s even nicer to be kind. 

Kindness is the remedy to all your emotional pain, kindness is what heals you from the cruelty of others.

Because if you’re going to spend your life trying to be cool, then what’s the point?

Life gets easier when you embrace yourself with your flaws and your mistakes and it gets easier once you stop expecting yourself to be perfect or ‘cool’ so people can be drawn to you.

Because the world has enough cool people, it doesn’t need more of them. The world needs people who are kind, people who are inspirational, people who are compassionate and people who know how to loveThought Catalog Logo Mark


About the author

Rania Naim

Writing makes me feel alive. Words heal me.

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