If you’re anything at all like me, you hear the word “chill” on a daily basis. You probably also use the word at least once a day. And while I love the word and the concept of “chilling” as much as the next person, the other day I had an epiphany about how this word is starting to lose just that—its “chill.”
For me, the definition of “chill” is being cool, not showing that you care, and not causing problems, drama or controversy. According to Urban Dictionary, it’s everything from “to calm down” and “cool, tight, wicked, sweet” to “hang out” and “be easy going.” Sounds like a good thing, right? It definitely is, and don’t get me wrong, I love “chilling,” but I think there is a definitive difference between having to make sure you’re always “chill” and actually being relaxed. Some of us are not necessarily chill people. We get angry, we care, we stress out, and we just generally have feelings, and that’s OK. It doesn’t mean that you’re undateable, that annoying friend, or anything of the sort. It means you’re freaking alive and living your life with passion. Since when is passion and feelings a bad thing? Since when does being “chill” mean not caring at all?
Taylor Swift sure as hell isn’t worrying about being “chill.” Kanye West couldn't care less if you think he’s “chill.” Hell, one of the candidates running for president is the least chill person (Donald Trump). And even those celebrities that are applauded for being down-to-earth, cool, and just generally awesome, like Jennifer Lawrence, are not “chill” in the sense that they don’t care. She’s fighting for equal pay for men and women, she’s starring in Blockbuster hits, and she’s tripping on television. She’s showing passion and making people talk, and she’s just being herself. And that should be the definition of chill. Chill shouldn’t mean squashing your personality, and it definitely shouldn’t require you to stress out about if you’re being chill enough. Thinking about being chill is not chill. Netflix and not caring is not chill. Being cold is not even fun. So I think everyone needs to take a step back and remember that chill and ice-cold are two very different things.
