You’ve all heard it before. “Really? You like that? That’s so weird.” That’s the sentence that starts it all. It only takes one comment like that, and whenever this “thing” comes around again, you’ll shy away from saying how much you really care for it.

"Guilty pleasure" is often a term used for something that we know is unhealthy for us, but we continue to indulge in it anyway because we like it. However, I feel like nowadays, the term is used as a way of apologizing for liking something harmless that we’re too embarrassed to admit we have an appreciation for.

So, why? Why do we do it? Why are we so insecure about being made fun of for our likes and interests that we have to give an apology to someone who was being rude us? Or yet, sometimes we will say we’re sorry before anybody even has a chance to say anything.

“Yeah, sorry, I’ll change that. It’s a guilty pleasure.”

“Sorry you had to see that. I know it’s weird. It’s kind of a guilty pleasure.”

I really like One Direction. (Or sadly, I like what’s left of them!) For the longest time, even though lots of people knew that they were my favorite band, I would feel embarrassed when people got into my car and One Direction music would be playing. I would say, “Oh, sorry. I’ll change it.” Immediately, I would turn on the radio or put in a CD that I thought was more acceptable, like Imagine Dragons. Maybe those people in my car would have liked One Direction too, but I never gave them the chance to tell me. Before they knew it, they were listening to “Radioactive” or “Polaroid” and singing along.

Alongside of "Friends" and "Criminal Minds," "Glee" is one of my favorite TV shows. I still have trouble telling people that I like the show. Even though I have other friends that enjoy it too, it still feels embarrassing when I make references to a particular episode, especially when I’m with the other people that have no idea what I’m talking about. It’s like I’m constantly preparing myself for comments such as, “That show is just a bunch of high school kids with weird problems” or “I can’t believe you like that.” My favorite line goes something like, “They aren’t even good singers. They ruin good songs.” (Actually, almost half of the cast has been on Broadway, but I suppose that’s beside the point.)

Another one of my “guilty pleasures” is that I really enjoy eating dry oatmeal and pasta noodles. I used to only ever eat them in my own house, and I never would have dreamed of letting my friends see me do it. I knew it wasn’t really normal, and I didn’t want to hear the comments about how “weird” it was. There was a day after school during my senior year of high school when I must have been really tired or something, and before I knew what I was doing, I had stuck my hand in the oatmeal jar. I began, “Oh yeah, this is a gui—” and was cut off when that friend interrupted, saying, “Oh my gosh! I do that too!” I had been hiding this “guilty snacking” all along, when I could have been enjoying it with someone else!

This isn’t right. We shouldn’t apologize for things that bring us comfort and happiness. We should be proud of our passions. Our enthusiasm is what makes us who we are. If we feel bad every time we have to “admit” what we like, we lose a part of ourselves. If we’re constantly apologizing for what makes us happy, then we’re not going to be 100 percent comfortable with how we’re living our lives, even though we should be. We should not be held back by fear.

I shouldn’t have to feel that by liking a certain band, TV show or food that it makes me less “normal” than everyone else. It shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure. It should simply just be a pleasure. Even if whatever it is seems childish to some, who cares? Being a kid is awesome! And maybe it is weird, but it’s something that I like, and we need to stop making people feel bad for things that bring them joy. It’s not stupid to like something that not everyone else likes. In fact, it’s what makes us unique. And we should be proud of that.