Remember When Lisa Simpson Tried to Fit In? Don't do That!
Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Lisa tries to be “cool” by dressing and acting differently? It felt forced and inauthentic — like she was trying way too hard to impress.
But the coolest character is actually the one who doesn’t try at all — someone genuine, relaxed, satisfied with who they are, and warm-hearted. That kind of cool comes from inside. Lisa is actually super talented and has substance as a person (albeit a cartoon).
In one episode, she even goes vegetarian!
The show portrayed it as a cringe moment, but to me, that was rad. The real cringiest moment for Lisa was when she sold out on herself to join the “cool kids.” She practiced saying a sentence that made no sense, far below her intelligence level, just to be accepted.
Next time you click “buy” on a shirt just to fit in, imagine you are Lisa trying to fit in. You really just need to express yourself authentically, and your real friends will show up.
I realized this recently. I meet so many people in the graffiti scene, and most of them are not my tribe. But folks who are sober or trying to be, interested in self-development and spirituality — they are my people. I love painting with them.
To have that warmth and love, I don’t need “cool” clothes or to fit any image. So much of being cool is just manipulating perception — caring what others think. That’s for teenagers. Adults, in my view, are beyond that.
From the Vedic perspective, lust means, “What can I take?” Love means, “What can I give?” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu beautifully said the highest love is wanting only Krishna’s happiness, not your own (Cc. Ādi 4.171). Psychologists say something similar — secure people give freely, while insecure people cling and perform to win approval.
Taking is easy and fear-based. Giving — being warm and loving — takes courage and vulnerability, but it’s the only way to true fulfillment.
Krishna consciousness is the ultimate “cool” — freedom from lust, from needing validation, from exhausting performances. When you have Krishna’s love, you don’t need the world’s approval.
