Don’t Yuck Anyone’s Yum

Instagram is a good medium in some ways; a short clip, a quote, or just a few lines can sometimes hit you right in the heart. You don’t have to sit through an entire life lesson speech for hours — not that it’s a bad thing, just not my thing. Sometimes people say a lot with very few words.

Times are changing, and with that, the way we connect and express ourselves is changing too. Time and attention span... the younger lot seems to have the former in abundance, but the latter? Not so much.

I came across one recently that said:

“You know what's underrated? Letting people be. Letting them mispronounce a word, talk too much about a show they love, or get excited about something you don't understand. You don't have to get it, just be kind.
Everyone's got something that lights them up. Let them shine, even if it's not your thing.”

And it hit me so hard.

I don’t know about your culture or your people, but people here can be very brutal sometimes, in their opinions, their judgments, and even in their jokes. Intentional or not, you never know when a careless comment could cut too deep, when a small embarrassment could become someone’s breaking point.

I recently came across such a situation.

In a group of acquaintances, a lady mispronounced the word poem as a single syllable. Another one quickly corrected her: “For God’s sake, it’s po-em, a two-syllable word.” I thought nothing of it at first, assuming it was said casually, maybe even playfully. But later I found out that the woman who was corrected felt so humiliated that she ended up hospitalized due to a triggered migraine and blood pressure spike. She was, maybe, already vulnerable, and that little jab — meant or not — pushed her over the edge.

It made me think of how easy it is to laugh something off when it doesn’t happen to you, and how deeply the same thing might scar someone else. We never really know what someone is carrying inside. A bad day, a heartbreak, years of insecurity, sometimes all it takes is one unnecessary comment to tip it over.

The thing is:
First, English isn’t our first language.
Second, even if it were, who cares if someone mispronounces a word?
And third, if it really bothers you, you can always correct someone kindly, in private, with respect.

Kindness doesn’t cost a thing. But lack of it can cost someone their peace.

I know some people are easily triggered by such things, but learning to control how you respond is the real growth. It’s not always about what you say — it’s about the way you say it. Tone, timing, and intent matter just as much as the words themselves.

We live in a world that’s already harsh enough, people struggling silently with health, grief, and self-worth. Online and offline, we’ve made “calling out” and “correcting” others a sport. But there’s a difference between helping someone grow and making them feel small.

Maybe that’s why the quote resonated so much. We don’t have to understand everyone’s enthusiasm, their accent, their taste in music, or their love for a random K-drama or plant or poem. But we can let them have their moment, their little spark of joy.

I would close this with another quote (if you didn't pay attention to the title of this post) that sums it up beautifully:

A user wrote:

“My Grandma always said, don’t yuck anyone’s yum. Live and let live.”

So yeah - let people shine in their own light. The world’s already dim enough without us trying to put out someone else’s spark.