To not take seriously anyone who uses the word 'sheeple'?

[BinkyBoinky]

Usually uttered by people who think they're "independent-minded free thinkers", but in reality they're just regurgitating whatever (usually right-wing) crap they've read on the internet and think they're more intelligent than everyone else. AIBU?

I use the word sheep people,for those who have become less individual in their ways, and just follow the crowd in all things. As they allow themselves to get influenced by what they see on social media, what they see other people wearing or buying etc, they all want the latest Must have's.

I’ve only seen it used by people who refuse to believe in facts. They always claim to have done their research (ie read a load of crap online) and refuse to consider actual research from experts like scientists, economists etc

I read the thread title as decrying those who say sheepie (sheepy). What's wrong with that?, sez I. You'll be slagging off anyone who says doggy, horsey and birdy next.

Agreed. It's a handy marker of an idiot!

@MyMessyHouse

Yes it very annoying.

But I've always found people who use this word are usually left wing, Jeremy corbyn supporter types.

In my experience it's more people who consider themselves too "awake" to take any politics seriously so think all governments are part of an international cabal who have set up the current "plandemic" and are neither left wing or right wing.

"Woke" is of course entirely different to "awake". The "woke" aren't so likely to use the word sheeple as the "awake".

I use the word sheep people,for those who have become less individual in their ways, and just follow the crowd in all things. As they allow themselves to get influenced by what they see on social media, what they see other people wearing or buying etc, they all want the latest Must have's

Yup, you sound like exactly the type of person who uses the term 'sheeple' you think you're above such things as being influenced by mainstream news and media and insult those who are influenced by it.

Yes to all of this. It's no doubt something that both left and right wing people are guilty of. The conspiracy theorists I've spoken to used to hover on both sides depending on the issue but are now definitely aligned more with the right-wing populists.

As long as they don't start using it on here. There are enough stupid words/phrases as it is .. i.e. 'shits and giggles' I mean .. what on earth is that about ???

I hate the word "sheeple". Conspiracists use it as the ultimate putdown when you refuse to think as they do.

I also don't understand why younger people think "ok, Boomer" is a putdown - I'm a boomer so I'm fine with it.

Usually used by those who are too intelligent to work a regular job, instead spending their waking hours constantly reposting on Facebook and using hashtags like #plandemic

@JunkCrumpet.

This is genius.

Conspiracists use it as the ultimate putdown when you refuse to think as they do.

Ironic really, when they all think the same as each other and believe in the same conspiracies.

The Venn diagram of people who use the word ‘sheeple’ and people who blithely swallow whatever zany propaganda the latest conspiracy theorist du jour pours down their throat is a perfect circle.

[quote flatnightmare]@personanongarter Do you class all left-wing conspiracy theorists as local communists? Where are they local to?[/quote]
My local communist group use this word on Facebook. Quite a lot. They have insight, the rest of us a capitalist handmaidens, etc.

1forAll74

Obviously blindly following the herd is not great.

But I think what the OP is talking about is this specific use of the word "sheeple" which is code among the conspiracy theory crowd for basically people who read the papers/watch TV and don't default to shonky YouTube interviews with pseudo scientists about why COVID is a giant conspiracy cooked up by the Illuminati and the world elite/lizards/the Rothschilds etc.

Not quite the same thing.

Hate it - but really don’t think I associate it with the right! More conspiracy theorists. (Or stoners).

The thing I find most amusing about it is Sheep aren’t dumb.

When you farm them they feel like they are as thick as a plank because they seem to never do what you want/need them to do (the exact opposite!!) but surely that’s actually a sign of intelligence and self preservation.

They have complex social lives, have lifelong friendships, have same sex relationships, remember around 50 human faces for 2 years or more (which is longer than most people can) and can associate them with who is kind, who feeds them and who is a bastard.

Suddenly being a “sheeple” isn’t as bad thing.

If sheep blindly followed a herd they would be so much easier to bloody herd.
Instead half the time one will find a small gap and lead its mates to safety.

Or have one that thinks it’s a sheep dog and chases his mates to freedom in the wrong direction from what you want.

I use it to refer to the mindless individuals and not so smart massess that give into mob mentality and actions without really thinking it through.

Sheeple generally applies both to the far left and far right. And those with a common sense approach and a balanced view, generally think of everyone else as Sheeple (which is the majority of the population)

I agree! Same with the word 'snowflake' - it just shows that the user is too small minded to consider why someone else might be upset/offended/ever so slightly bothered by something.

Where are all these communists hanging out?

It’s usually used by the same people who proudly proclaim their attendance at the “university of life” on their Facebook profile.

I find this word exceptionally offensive. What it really means is ‘You disagree with me so I am going to treat you with contempt’.

Most like to be used by the kind who uses 'leftist' and 'liberal' as an insult and thinks the pretentious, verbose, self-help mush of Jordan 'kermit' Peterson with his woman hating, judeo-christian pull yourself up by your bootstraps 'traditionalism' is groundbreaking.

And as for David Icke..... how can people believe little bits of what he says without look at all the things he says? the really, really unhinged, anti semitic and lizardy stuff?

It is the Dunning-Kruger effect in action!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect