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Embrace The Cringe

Name: Embrace The Cringe
Uploaded: 2025-12-04T18:45:03+00:00
Duration: 50 s
Channel: Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP
Description: In this motivational monologue, the speaker argues that anyone who starts any endeavor will inevitably feel incompetent and be subject to criticism…

4 Dec 2025 · 1 min

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In this motivational monologue, the speaker argues that anyone who starts any endeavor will inevitably feel incompetent and be subject to criticism, whether they act or stay idle. The speaker frames this universal embarrassment as a sign that one is attempting something meaningful. By choosing goals that are worth the inevitable ridicule, such as making a positive change or helping others, one can accept the discomfort. The speaker references Alex Becker’s “embrace the cringe” mantra, urging listeners to recognize that early awkwardness—like that experienced in childhood—is a natural phase of growth, not a reason to quit. The overall message is to persist through the cringe, because the pursuit of worthwhile goals justifies the criticism.

Chapters

Whenever you start at anything, you will suck and you will be embarrassing. You will look back at yourself and you'll be embarrassed. Think about how you were as a toddler, right? If you do nothing or you do anything, people will criticize you. They'll criticize you if you do nothing. Like, think about it. If you do, ah, he doesn't do anything, you'll get criticism. If you do anything, they're like, oh, he's doing this, look how stupid it is. People will criticize you. So the idea is do things that it is worth being criticized for you. And to me, pursuing goals, my own goals, is worth being criticized for. Like, if you believe that you want to make this different, make this change, help people out in some specific way. I think Alex Becker said this, and I just love this. He's like, you have to embrace the cringe. Think about how embarrassing you are probably to your parents, or were to your parents when you were a child learning how to be a human. It doesn't mean that being human and not living is not worth doing. It just means that you have to go through that phase.