On April 11, Kanye West tweeted: “BEING SAD ALL THE TIME IS SO LAME SO STOP THAT S—.” West’s comment opened discourse on society’s misconceptions on mental illness and emotional expression.

The concept of West’s notion is entirely wrong. When has someone ever made someone else feel better by invalidating their emotions and calling them “lame” for having them?

And there’s nothing healthy about bottling emotions. For those with depression who fake a smile, it’s unlikely they will ever receive help because people won’t realize they need it. When Robin Williams committed suicide, the world was in shock. Williams faked a smile and laugh throughout his career. West’s notion that you have to be happy all the time is just as toxic as masculinity, which shames men for feeling “feminine” emotions. Toxic masculinity is ingrained in a boy from the moment their father tells them “there’s no crying in baseball” or when they’re told to “be a man” (as if there’s actually anything besides biology that defines a man.)

People with depression don’t have the choice to “stop that,” as West not-so-kindly suggests. A mental illness is just as valid as an illness like diabetes. Although I’m sure West’s intentions were pure, saying a simple solution to sadness is to just “stop” is about as useful as telling a person who is bleeding to do the same. According to Harvard, “depression has many possible causes, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems” (Harvard Health Publications).

Even if a person is not diagnosed with any sort of mental illness, sadness is still normal. It’s an emotion, and by calling people “lame” for feeling emotions, West invalidated what makes people human. However, the stigma against showing emotions doesn’t just come from West.

Of course, there is a choice that can be made by most to “see the bright side,” but blatantly ignoring feelings of morose as West suggested is just as “fake, fake, fake” as he’s called out the world for. Oh, the hypocrisy.