31/08/2025

ON SUNDAY August 31, 2025 theSunday Special IX

Being interesting all the time What if being a little dull is exactly what the moment calls for?

Soft days … not every moment needs a caption or a conclusion.

BY SIMON VELLA

Some of the most emotionally safe, grounded people you’ll ever meet aren’t the ones constantly radiating charisma, but the ones who show up, listen well and ask nothing of the spotlight. They don’t post much. They don’t need to have a ³WDNH ´ 7KH\¶UH FRQWHQW MXVW EHLQJ SUHVHQW and in a world of constant projection, that’s an underrated virtue. Traditionally, Malaysian values have honoured modesty and humility. There has long been pride in quietly getting things done – working hard, caring for family and staying out of the limelight. But LQ WRGD\¶V JOREDOLVHG RQOLQH ¿UVW FXOWXUH that narrative is shifting. There’s a new pressure not only to succeed, but to showcase that success. We’re nudged to develop an aesthetic, post achievements, share wellness rituals and EURDGFDVW FOHYHU WKRXJKWV WKDW ³VODS´ %XW not everyone wants to become a lifestyle EUDQG 6RPH SHRSOH MXVW ZDQW WR ¿QLVK work, feed the cat and eat mee rebus in peace. That, honestly should be enough. Trap of constant self-expression Of course, there’s value in sharing your voice. But the expectation to constantly have something meaningful, funny or post-worthy to say is exhausting. It can turn self-expression into performance, fuelling anxiety that our lives aren’t “con WHQW´ HQRXJK Not every moment requires an audi ence. Some days, many days, are meant to pass quietly. Some weekends are beautifully forgettable. Not every thought needs polishing, not every meal needs photographing and not every emotion needs a caption. Here’s something odd to consider: the people who love you most don’t require you to be interesting. They don’t love you for your clever turns of phrase or curated playlists. They love you for showing up –

Ordinary is not failure – it’s where real life quietly lives.”

for being steady, for asking how they’re doing, for sitting with them when there’s nothing to say. You’re not a project or a personal brand. You’re not an exhibit in a gallery of self-improvement. You don’t need to optimise yourself like a startup. You can just be and that is enough. Ordinary doesn’t mean stuck Let’s be clear. Embracing ordinariness isn’t the same as giving up. It’s not about stagnation. It’s about recognising that rest, stillness and simplicity are essential too. You don’t need to reinvent yourself with every season. You don’t have to narrate your life like a series arc. Sometimes, the storyline is this: You watered your plants, went to work, called your mum and watched a film you’ve already forgotten. That’s not dull. That’s a life. You are allowed to be unremarkable today. To wear the same clothes. Eat the VDPH EUHDNIDVW 6D\ ³,¶P QRW VXUH´ DQG not follow it with a TED Talk. You can skip the post, close the app, cancel the performance and simply be. Because life isn’t made of highlights – it’s made of leftovers, laundry, quiet mornings and shared glances. That’s not a failure to thrive. That’s the rhythm of being human. If that’s all you managed today, to stay alive and a little ordinary, then you did MXVW ¿QH

You’re allowed to be unremarkable today and still worthy.

S OMEWHERE along the way, simply existing stopped being enough. We now live in an age of curated identities, personal brands and algorithm-approved quirks, where even the most mundane moment is turned into content. A simple lunch becomes a post. A passing thought becomes a caption. Even boredom now arrives with a punchline – “I’m bored, so KHUH¶V P\ FKDRWLF RXW¿W RI WKH GD\ ´ But here’s a radical proposition: what if you didn’t have to be interesting all the time? What if you’re allowed to be a little tired, a little uninspired – just a person going about their day without a witty remark or photogenic moment? T KLV SUHVVXUH WR EH ³VRPHRQH´ ± FOHYHU witty, insightful, adventurous, “a whole YLEH´ ± LV VXEWOH EXW SHUVLVWHQW ,W¶V QR longer enough to be simply; we’re ex pected to perform a version of ourselves. There’s the funny friend, the thoughtful conversationalist, the playlist curator with opinions about tacos and heartbreak. While social media didn’t invent this WUHQG LW FHUWDLQO\ LQWHQVL¿HG LW :H¶YH DOO EHFRPH XQṘ FLDO SXEOLFLVWV RI RXU RZQ lives, curating highlight reels not just for attention, but for validation. We want

Unposted but present … some days are best left undocumented.”

to be seen as living life correctly – fully, vibrantly and aesthetically. Eventually, this mindset seeps of ÀLQH :H VWDUW SHUIRUPLQJ HYHQ LQ FDVXDO conversation. Silence becomes uncomfort able. Being ordinary starts to feel like a IDLOLQJ LI ZH¶UH QRW R̆ HULQJ LQVLJKWV MRNHV or personal revelations. But nobody is built to be entertaining all the time, nor should they be. In defence of being a little dull Ordinariness often carries a misplaced association with failure, as though you’ve somehow failed to live up to your poten tial. But in truth, the bulk of life exists in the ordinary: laundry, quiet Tuesdays, rice for dinner and conversations that lead nowhere in particular. It’s where calm lives.