who are we trying to impress?

"When our love of music becomes a race to beat each other with knowledge of obscure bands, we've lost our love of music. When our political engagement boils down to who has the best screen-printed swag, we're not engaging politics. When our passion for social justice isn't coupled with actual knowledge of the issues we're fighting for, it's just posturing."

I read this in an article today.

It was interesting. 

The author criticized the way in which our culture (namely, my generation) has made everything from social change movements to environmental campaigns trendy. He says, "We seem so intent upon creating an impressive display of cultural and political awareness that the culture and politics we tout become secondary to the style in which we tout them...Who are we trying to impress with our cultural savvy, our rebellious fashion sense and political awareness? Essentially, it's each other. On a whole, we're trying to impress our peers, strangers we pass on the street who - in reality - notice us no more than we do them."

I'll be honest, I'm a victim of this epidemic in progressive culture. I like the Urban Outfitters look, which we all know is not as "effortless" as it appears. I'd consider myself a "band wagon" fan when it comes to things like boba, frozen yogurt, and lattes. I intentionally purchase music by obscure artists to avoid being labeled as "mainstream."

And when I think about it all, I realize this guy's right: "It's time we stop trying to impress, and start making a difference for the sake of making a difference."

In this day and age, we need people to stand up for truth, but not because it's trendy. 

(To read this article, visit http://www.relevantmagazine.com/features-reviews/life/17250-who-are-we-trying-to-impress)