Kanken bags, Air Force 1s, Lululemon, claw clips, and Nike socks. Maybe they even have a cup of boba in their hand. You see this girl everywhere, from your first-period math class to the mall. She’s so basic, right?

Basic is an insult that began its rise in the early 2010s. If you were basic then, you wore Ugg boots and loved Friends. Of course, the examples of what makes a person basic now have changed, but the definition remains the same. For most people, basic means unoriginal. Boring. Uncool.

However, basic doesn’t mean what you think it does. Being basic is an indicator of good taste. 

If you think about “basic” things with an open mind, it’s easy to see why people flock to them. Sure, some of them are bandwagon commodities. But there’s a reason people gravitate to these items. 

Normally, they’re great.

LED lights are colorful ways of self-expression that change the feel of a room. Marvel movies are fun, action-packed thrillers that make you feel hyped after you leave. Air Force 1s? They go with everything, they’re comfortable, and they’re stylish.

And really, are you much better than them? Everything—no matter how obscure you think it is—is targeted towards you. Your Nirvana shirt? Basic. The fact you watch anime? Basic. The way you thrift most of your clothes? You’re VERY basic.

Don’t even get me started on music. Your “indie” musician has over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and tours nationally.

People can be interesting and enjoy the top 100s. They probably don’t base their entire personality off what or who they listen to (*COUGH Arctic Monkey fans COUGH*).

We all aren’t as unique as we think we are. There are 7.9 billion people on this earth, and there are quite a few that have the same style and music taste as you. Making fun of people for their taste doesn’t make you special. It just makes you rude.

Let people enjoy what they like. Basic things don’t harm anyone, and they’re pretty fun if you give them a chance. Except for playlists named “vibez”. Those suck.