As anyone who has had a conversation with me that lasted more that 5 minutes can attest, "cute" is my favorite adjective — and I use it quite liberally. Not everyone feels so positive about cute things, however. "Cute," which simply means attractive in an endearing way, has become a gendered term and it's definition and usage have narrowed to reflect this so much so that describing a man as 'cute' can actually be offensive to the man. It's not uncommon to see an internet picture of something adorable captioned with something to effect of, "So cute I had to punch [x] to feel manly again." Cute is for animals, floral prints, kitschy cottages, and pink. Beyond being gendered, things described as "cute" are increasingly considered arbitrary or topical. In popular conception, cuteness is for the nonessential, the inconsequential, and the weak. I would like to suggest quite the opposite.

All of this hostility toward cute things has the ring of edgy post modern cynicism to me. It's understandable; cynicism is in (thanks 2009 hipsters), and most importantly it's safe. If you act like you don't care, you aren't hurt when things do go wrong. Cute things inevitably make us feel lovey-dovey caring-type feelings, and those feelings are dangerous, right? They make us vulnerable, and vulnerability is terrifying.

(youtube.com/watch?v=zlPb8vsvcoM)

This kind of vulnerability is especially terrifying within our culture of toxic masculinity, which teaches that 'boys don't cry' and that men are supposed to be less naturally nurturing. This, combined with popular ideas about cynicism and emotional distancing, leads men who already feel pressure to be stoic to deny "cute" as a part of their vocabulary entirely. Cuteness becomes the antithesis of post-modern masculinity and thus is also banished from professional settings. We can see some changes in this ideology as 3rd wave feminism really came into its own in the late 2000s, but creeping post-feminist feelings now strengthen this idea that a predilection for cuteness represents softness in all genders. So men of the world, if you enjoy cute things, then enjoy cute things and don't be afraid of saying so. It's brave, and genuinely loving.

Cute things make us feel lovey-dovey because an essential part of being "cute" is inspiring love and connection in people. Babies and puppies are cute because they are blobby and helpless, and so they inspire us to care for them. Cafes and cottages can be cute because they make us feel romantic or intellectual, and outfits can be cute because we want other people, or ourselves, to feel endeared to us when they see it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be cute, at any age or gender, because wanting to be cute is wanting to be endearing, it's wanting support from people around you — which we need whether we like it or not.

(Fameflynet.uk.com)

I would like to argue that in order to live more genuinely and allow ourselves more joy, we need to allow ourselves to love without cynicism, and that involves being vulnerable — which is a much bigger and scarier task than we're often willing to admit. As psychology researcher Brene Brown says, "I think our capacity for wholeheartedness can never be greater than our willingness to be broken-hearted. It means engaging with the world from a place of vulnerability and worthiness." So cute isn't trivial. To admit that something is cute means admitting you feel endearment - feel love - for something. To love is to be open to the possibility of hurt, and to love in small ways as you do when you feel that something is "cute" increases the likelihood of hurt, but it's a hurt that's worth it. "Cute" things inspire collective effervescence and positive connection, which many argue is the most important thing in life, period. So I encourage all of you to enjoy, love, and share things that are cute without shame or fear. May it bring you closer to your fellow people.

(Boredpanda.com)

I'd recommend some baby animal videos to start.