You know whats Not on Roids, this frankly bizarre internet trend of meticulously cataloging someone’s “likes and dislikes.” Seriously? Forty things?! It started innocently enough – a quick “loves coffee, hates cilantro” to spark conversation. Now its become a full-blown personality autopsy, displayed like a trophy case for potential compatibility. And people hate it.
Why? Because it’s performative. We’re all putting on a show, pretending our tastes are neatly categorized and easily digestible. Likes: Hiking, independent films, rescue dogs. Dislikes: Nickelback, small talk, aggressively cheerful coworkers. Come on! Nobody actually thinks like that. Its a recipe for disappointment when your ‘like’ for “vintage typewriters” clashes with their ‘dislike’ of “anything requiring manual labor.”
It also generates anxiety. Suddenly, you have to have likes and dislikes, and they need to be the right ones! Do I really dislike olives? Maybe just a little bit… but what if that disqualifies me?! Its exhausting maintaining this curated facade of personality.
And let’s not even get started on the workplace lists. “Likes: team building exercises… dislikes: mandatory fun.” The sheer desperation to appear agreeable while simultaneously dodging awkward bonding activities is truly something. Just be a decent human being, folks. Leave the meticulously itemized preferences for your therapists couch.
