We've all heard the term "guilty pleasure" at least once in our lives. In fact, we've all probably had at least one of our own. But if guilty pleasures are something we feel ashamed for enjoying, why are they so commonly talked about? If everyone has a guilty pleasure, then is it really all that guilty? I've always failed to understand why people should be shamed or embarrassed about something that makes them genuinely happy.

If what you're doing poses no threat to yourself or others, then why should you have to feel guilty for it? The bottom line is that no one should feel ashamed for something they love. On the other hand, why do we as a society feel the need to shame people for the things that bring them happiness? It's hard to find things in life that allow us to relax and fully invest ourselves into, so we shouldn't go around making fun of people just because what brings them pleasure is different from what brings us pleasure. Everyone is different, and we all like different things. Just because something seems foreign and weird to you doesn't give you the right to shame someone else for admiring it.

I'll be the first to admit that I've had a lot of guilty pleasures throughout my life. Despite all the aversion surrounding it, I love the "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer. I read them in middle school and saw their film counterparts, and while I am not as die-hard of a fan today as I was back then, my opinion still hasn't changed about them. A lot of people think the idea behind the book was stupid and that the author is a horrible writer. I personally loved the concept and think that they were incredibly well written. But just because my opinion is different from the majority doesn't mean that I should feel guilty for liking the series. My admiration of the books in no way hurts or negatively affects anyone else, so what gives anyone the right to criticize me for it?

I honestly just don't believe that there is such a thing as a guilty pleasure. What separates a guilty pleasure from a regular pleasure? One is held in a lower regard by society than the other, but that shouldn't change how we feel about it. Now, this doesn't mean you can just go around taking pleasure in whatever you want to. The key phrase here is that your guilty pleasure doesn't harm anyone. Harming extends beyond just a physical sense; so if something you enjoy makes someone else feel uncomfortable or threatened, then you shouldn't be doing it. But for the most part, I find guilty pleasures to usually be small, insignificant commodities.

In March 2016, I had the honor of attending a $5 concert to see my favorite band. The band, Real Friends, wanted to give back to their fans by offering an intimate show with only about 50 people or so since they had grown in popularity over the past years. The band talked about a lot of important issues that really stuck with me, and the subject of guilty pleasures was one of them. The band's vocalist Dan Lambton said, "You should be able to transport into your happy place without having to worry about what anyone else thinks about you." This quote resonated with me, because every single word of it is true. Everyone deserves to have a happy place, and we shouldn't have to worry about whatever it is that gets us there.

Guilty pleasures shouldn't have to be so guilty. If it makes you happy, then that's all that matters. We shouldn't place judgement upon others for the things that they enjoy just because they are different from what we are used to. Life is too short to worry about what others think or criticize others for what they love. Everyone is unique, and every person has differing likes and dislikes. As long as whatever brings you pleasure isn't harming you or other people, then you should be able to fully enjoy yourself without having to worry about anything else.