What is wrong with being 'woke'?

[Whyistheteacold]

The original meaning of being 'woke' was being aware of social inequalities, specifically racism. It's usage seems to have been subverted to a negative thing, it suggests an insencere concern for issues, being overly sensitive or just plain silly.

If being woke is an insult, the subtext is that speaking out/being concerned about injustice or issues likes racism is also bad... Am I missing something obvious?

When did it become wrong or a weakness to make yourself aware of the issues that other people may have?

To the person saying they call people by the pronouns they request - that’s already sexism right there. I’m guessing you wouldn’t call Rachel Dolezal the race she requested - so why this gross insult to women?

I agree with all of the posters.

Also another issue is that they pick topics and/or people that are "in" .

They'll fight to death(cancel) on x's or y's behalf, but never ever actually do something to support and protect the truly vulnerable,the forgotten, the average victim etc. In fact , the more you look into their past they're actually very likely to have victimised someone from the same category as x and y.

That's the thing that bothers me the most, after the whole leaving all rational thought,ignoring science, just shout louder thing.

When used as a slur it’s lazy
James Baldwin coined it
To be a (Negro) in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” It is to understand the unique kind of exhaustion that comes from being perpetually attuned to discrimination. It is to be weary and wary. To be woke is to long for a day when one doesn’t have to stay woke.
(italicised word is in the original)
You can quibble with opinions you don’t agree with or performative signalling but you’d have to have a heart of stone to label them ‘woke’ having read that.

THis is worth a read
bellmar.medium.com/toxic-and-woke-engineering-orgs-8abf20e07de5

The word has been turned into an insult by the right, along the same lines as 'liberal' in the US.

metro.co.uk/2020/03/27/word-woke-became-tool-silence-people-colour-12426214/

It's become too entwined with hypocrisy that it's lost any positive meaning.

We need to save the planet, reduce our carbon footprint, while speeding around the globe on a private jet.

Being told off for single use plastic by someone who spends 500k on a party.

Stay home, save lives protect the NHS-send yourself to bankruptcy, but it's fine for 'high value' people to float around unrestricted.

It's endless, being told what to do by wealthy idiots who don't follow their own ideals.

Well said, OP. The word's been distorted beyond all recognition, sadly, but world events seem to have seen to it that we've lost that.

Of course woke values and behaviour gets twisted sometimes and ends up being the opposite of everything it's supposed to stand for. But I sometimes think society's at risk of jettisoning all its principles, all its kindness (what little appears to be left) and anyone who objects is sneered at for being 'woke'. It saddens me.

Oops iPad ate part of my second sentence:

The word's been distorted beyond all recognition, sadly, and 'woke' used to signify some sort of hope, to me at least, but world events seem to have seen to it that we've lost that.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being woke OP.

It has become a a catch all insult though. For many people it now means Left Leaning Person I Disagree With On An Issue. Just 1 issue is enough.

The problem I have is that 'woke' seems to indicate a recent awareness.
Of problems that are generations, or centuries old.
I don't need a lecture about something dear to my heart from someone who only learned about it because they saw something on Facebook.

I think it's because it's a term that in spite of its original connotations has come to symbolise people acting without awareness or compassion who weaponise their viewpoint without care for the implications.

It's like a game of political correctness with high stakes and often without a preceding understanding of the issues at hand or willingness to research them.

It's not about changing the world for the better, it's about an individual presenting a veneer of "worthiness" that elevates them personally both in real life and on social media.

When common sense fell by the wayside.

Urgh. So irritating. Just be a decent human being ffs. Being politically correct and always being seen to say /do the right thing doesn’t always make it right .

It's a concept that's been appropriated and twisted by virtue signallers who have no need of it, and it's used to shut down the very contested debate necessary to address inequality

The problem with woke is expemlified to me by these two positions currently held by a member of my family.

Feminism is necessary. Female safe spaces are necessary because of male violence. Women have a right to organise and meet and address the issues that affect them due to their biology. Women need to be able to use the necessary language to do this

And

If a man says he is a woman, then he should also have access to the above. It doesn't matter that he is still male. To suggest otherwise is transphobic. It doesn't matter that he doesn't have the same biological needs. To suggest otherwise is transphobic. To use female oriented language to discuss women's issues is transphobic

So which is it?

This family member holds each position concurrently and will argue for both in the same conversation.

Sadly it is too often accompanied by an overwhelming sense of self-righteousness and a conviction (usually based on the flimsiest of reasons) that the person holding the "woke" viewpoint is always correct and those they disagree with are evil scum. Being "woke" is seldom a pleasant characteristic IMO.

Sadly it is too often accompanied by an overwhelming sense of self-righteousness and a conviction (usually based on the flimsiest of reasons) that the person holding the "woke" viewpoint is always correct and those they disagree with are evil scum. Being "woke" is seldom a pleasant characteristic IMO

Spot on.

Basically it's people who are too stupid to think for themselves. They need the media to determine their views.

Environmentalism? Check, I'm there.
Veganisim? I'm in! Sounds good 👍
Feminism? Oh yes, uh huh!

Even though really they have no clue about the issues.

@RaymondSpectacles

Being woke has negative connotations because it's always performative, and a competition. A bit like right-wingers berating everyone for not wearing a poppy the correct way. I agree with speaking out about injustice, but it's no longer enough to be a good, kind person who helps people, you have to be seen to be saying the right things in the right way.

I'm a left-leaning person but have always been perturbed by the left's tendency to shut down debate by policing language and no-platforming.

Absolutely. I'm pretty far left (economically and socially) BUT there are a subset of very vocal people, primarily on places like Twitter, who live and breathe identity politics and hound anyone who doesn't understand the "correct" terminology for things, or disagrees with anything even when they're coming from a well-meaning place. Frankly it's completely counter-productive - doxxing, harassing and silencing never got anyone on side. Dialogue, debate and discussion are good things. And I say all this whilst (for the avoidance of doubt) being completely against prejudice such as classism, racism and sexism.

there are a subset of very vocal people, primarily on places like Twitter, who live and breathe identity politics and hound anyone who doesn't understand the "correct" terminology for things, or disagrees with anything even when they're coming from a well-meaning place

Yes. Even the who broadly agree with the arguments are still shut down if they use non accepted terminology or ask a question.

It’s not new though, when I was younger, in the 90s it was “oh you’re so PC” as an insult. “Woke” as an insult is the new PC.

Woke is going beyond what’s sensible and veering into the ridiculous. Like the sensible discussion of racism leading to James Wong making the ridiculous claim that “native plants” are racist. It also involves bullying and silencing anyone who doesn’t agree with you.

@DrDetriment

Because woke people generally can't accept any other opinion than their own, which leads to cancelling, virtue signalling and incredible self-righteousness.

Exactly. Don't they do debating at school anymore?

I had no idea what it meant until I looked it up. Now I just think this thread is pretentious and pretty damn pointless. Why not just speak sense so people can understand ??