Hey you! Yeah, you! The guy in the Affliction Tee laughing at the couple jamming out to Bella Ruse and arguing about art. I’m judging you right now. Why? Here’s why…

I just finished reading an article about Taylor Swift’s music (we’ll talk about that later; OK, probably not) by Sady Doyle over at BuzzFeed. In it was one of the most captivating paragraphs that I’ve read in a long time, and it was in such an odd place that I had to post it here:

Which brings us to the hipsters. I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of hipster-bashing. It’s a tired joke, for one thing. It’s also a joke that often translates into bashing eggheads. This isn’t defensiveness; I don’t think I fit the stereotype. But I’ve known people who do. And they were defined, more than anything, by their passion for creation. It’s easy to roll one’s eyes at the precious forms that creativity can take – artisanal mustard; hand-knitted bike cozies; putting a bird on it – but the fact is, these were people who spent time making things, who made furniture and clothing and beer and food and paintings and music and literature. And they appreciated the effort of creation. They were the dwindling audience for literary fiction, the people who sought out unknown musicians and directors, the people who not only knew something about painting or photography but might actually buy it. All of which makes hipster-bashing seem like giving a wedgie to the kid who’d rather take AP art classes than try out for the football team.

If you’ve followed me on Twitter or read older posts on my blog, you know exactly how I feel about alienating someone because of the way they dress, act, think, etc. Every time you open your mouth and say something negative about someone, you look stupid. Every time you act a certain way toward someone because of some opinion you have about their clothes, lifestyle or anything else, you’re a jerk and look like an idiot. STOP IT. Think about this next time: You very well may be that person’s only friend in the world.

So all joking aside, don’t be a douche. Just because someone is different than you, doesn’t mean they’re not as good as you. Honestly, there really is nothing you can do that would cause me to judge you, but if I see you pick on someone, bully someone, or belittle someone, you’re dead to me.

A friendly reminder from PostSecret: