When terms are poorly defined, effective communication is impossible: confusion reigns.
What is the definition of ‘woke?’
Woke is now defined in this dictionary as “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice),” and identified as U.S. slang. It originated in African American English and gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Source: Merriam-Webster
Wokeism has morphed to include a focus on climate change as well as gender and sexual orientation controversies. In a generalized sense, if one is ‘woke,’ that one inhabits the political and philosophical Left, while the one who is not woke inhabits the political and philosophical Right.
The terms ‘woke’ and ‘politically correct’ are close cousins, part of the counter-culture and cancel culture, embracing socialism/communism, encouraging agnosticism and more government control. Generally, the other side can be labeled traditionalists, those supporting economic freedom, Judeo-Christian values, less government, and individualism.
And then you have the vast ‘middle’ comprised of people who do not fit nicely into either category.
Partisans on both sides opposed lockdowns. Partisans on both sides opposed vaccine mandates and masks, but, when majorities promoted vaccines and lockdowns, they did so with a vengeance, showing a willingness to demonize and cancel anyone with a legitimate opposing viewpoint. Overnight schisms fueled by imprecise language, emotionalism, and propaganda have created a tinder box standing by to ignite the next social convulsion.
This is where ‘wokeism’ becomes a problem. When only one narrative is given a voice, liberty loses, and there is no peace. When only one narrative is considered altogether true, liberty is diminished. And when one side claims truth, we have anarchy leading to violence. Divisions are exaggerated and amplified. Suspicion turns to discrimination. Emotionalism drives fear. People turn on each other. Institutions split and crumble. Excellent employees are driven from their jobs, not due to poor performance, but rather because of political orientation. Lives are ruined because of assumptions, fanaticism, and disrespect.
The institutions that once focused on teaching students critical thinking are now teaching them to be critical of thinking, creating a mass psychology of rage and ignorance, a terminal condition.
Core values protecting the civil liberties of ALL are now overwhelmed by relativism, the permissive society, and the erratic advice from all things arbitrary.
Unless we rein this in, we will plummet off a cliff of our own making.
