The Tailwind CSS4 debate is everywhere right now. And honestly? Most people are arguing about the wrong thing. The real question isn't "inline styles vs. utility classes" — it's about where your styling decisions live and who pays the cognitive cost. Let me break down what's actually happening, with real code, real trade-offs, and a clear take at the end. What Changed in Tailwind CSS v4 Tailwind CSS v4 introduced a major shift: CSS-first configuration. Instead of a tailwind.config.js , you defin