There is a common belief, especially amongst teenagers, that showing emotion or acting like you care is what makes you weak, lame, or annoying. And while being emotional around others can certainly make you vulnerable, this should not be confused with weak. 

To be “weak” with your emotions is to not allow yourself to be vulnerable. To be weak is to forbid yourself from feeling, processing, and understanding your own emotions. NOT the other way around.

So, as a result of this stigma, teenagers will often try to shrug off even the most serious of situations, believing that showing any sort of feeling will put them at a loss.  Personally, I have seen quite a number of my peers slap an “I don’t care” on something and try to move on without processing any of what they were actually feeling. 

But it’s important to remember that it’s okay—and often normal—to care about things. Being emotional, empathetic, or sensitive doesn’t mean you’re weak, just like being uncaring and emotionless doesn’t make you strong. 

We’re humans. We feel, laugh, cry, yell, and all the things in between. If you don’t allow yourself to feel these things, are you really living at all?