Stop Shaming People For Doing Things That Make Them Happy

Recently, a Vietnamese influencer's Facebook post drew attention and criticism. The influencer, Wangmei, posted pictures of herself in the hospital with heavy makeup on and stated that her boyfriend was coming to visit her in the caption. Many took to the comments to criticize and ridicule the extent of her makeup as well as the addition of pearl earrings, believing that her focus on beauty was not appropriate for someone who was sick and in the hospital.

While I can understand how people might be surprised at how much work Wangmei put into her makeup despite being hospitalized, the ridicule that Wangmei received is unwarranted and unnecessary. Some people could have been concerned about her health, but being concerned doesn't warrant ridiculing the way she looks, how she chooses to do her makeup, or even just her decision to do her makeup in the first place. It's her own choice if she wants to focus on her appearance. If she's well enough to post on social media, she's probably not doing herself (or anyone else, for that matter) any harm by doing her makeup or wearing jewelry.

Wangmei also seemed excited to see her boyfriend, and, given her hospitalization, doing her makeup may have been something that actually made her feel better in her current situation. Seeing how she was criticized for doing so was disappointing, especially since she seemed excited enough about both the visit and her appearance to take multiple photos of her makeup and make the post in the first place. Something as harmless as makeup and jewelry shouldn't be such a big deal. If it makes someone happy and gives them some sense of comfort, why should it matter?

Wangmei's post is only one example of how people are shamed for doing even the smallest things that make them happy. Makeup is especially an interest that many people like Wangmei have been shamed for, whether people think that makeup is vain or deceiving or any other sort of criticism that they could think of. The reality is that a lot of people just do it because they like it. Many others are shamed for putting time into other hobbies and interests, whether it's TV shows or video games or even social media. All over social media, there are people who always have to comment that there are "larger" or "more important" issues that should be prioritized, as if people can't have room to enjoy themselves every once in a while.

Yes, everyone has responsibilities and priorities in their lives, but that doesn't mean that they can't make room for smaller things that make them happy. We shouldn't be treating our small sources of happiness as a "waste of time." As long as they're not harming anyone, no one deserves to be shamed for taking some time to do something they enjoy. Having these little things that make us happy, even just for a moment, can be more necessary than many seem to think.