As I’m learning about stoicism, I’m having sort of a revelation about the ‘that girl’ trend. I found out about it over Instagram and then YouTube, but I understand it began on TikTok. I immediately liked the aesthetic and it just felt so familiar. Early mornings, home workouts, the gym, walks, healthy eating, being productive, self-development…these things have been a crucial part of my life for over 10 years now and with that, they became part of my identity. They are also very much at the core of this blog. I disagree with the way intelligence and what the ‘that girl’ aesthetic represents are being put into two different boxes. I know that from the ‘that girl’ perspective, intelligence is an inherent part. You’re making healthy choices for yourself and acting responsible for your future. Add in all the reading and learning it inspires and it’s hard to argue that being ‘that girl’ is anything else but a girl or a woman who is smart.
But despite that, anything pink and aesthetic is still brushed off as not to be taken seriously. Take the Barbie movie for example. Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie made a thought provoking film that not only attracted millions of people, it’s message had people crying as they were leaving the cinema. You’d think that would get more rewards than a ‘fine, we can’t deny you sold lots of tickets’.
The undervaluing of anything that comes with beauty is part of what drove me to have a strong focus on philosophy in my blog. I love philosophy and I’ve made it my home. At some point in my life and academic experience, I began being told that this is not for me by teachers, by professors and I will never get over how I won first prize for a philosophy essay was supposed to go to the philosophy Olympics, but the school I went to chose a boy who I beat. I beat him. And he won. Ew.
Beside the obvious injustice of that situation, this experience stuck with me because it was the first of many times that I learned that valuing beauty, health and exercise is somehow seen as incompatible with the more intellectual things in life. It’s not. And that’s why I jumped to my laptop today right after reading The Daily Stoic. Ryan Holiday says he hopes to inspire thinking in one of the early January meditations and I’m confirming: mission accomplished for him. Stoicism talks about improving your life through being aware and present of yourself, your priorities – yourself living your life and not falling into autopilot or being led by reacting, in short. The ‘that girl’ trend does the same, albeit not through deep philosophical discussions about the ‘why’ and ‘how’, but through action. You wake up early, you take control of your day. You journal to connect to yourself and set intentions, keeping you on track and listening to your aspirations and acknowledging your fears. Turning the ‘that girl’ trend into something ugly is easy, that’s easy to do with anything. I find any trend that encourages a healthy lifestyle and self-reflection combined with responsibility one that is needed and great. Being ‘that girl’ might not mean that much for everyone who participates, but it was a reminder of my own identity for me.
Angelofmichelangelo 