‘Wokeness’, the new catch all term thrown in the faces of “the liberals” to malign and undermine who they are. In many ways it has become the same as ‘the patriarchy’, another ghoul in the closet, intangible and meaningless, used to simply fling mud at ‘the other’. But what is it to be ‘woke’? How has a term that was embraced by so many, worn as a badge of honour to signify social awareness, slowly become a term of ridicule, and a finger with which to point and laugh at others? I must admit, I once considered myself ‘woke’, but have slowly grown to see how those like me, and around me, have become enamoured with a set of political ideas, that, well, really make little sense. To be woke today, in my view, is the political prioritisation of looking good, over doing good. It is to wear political opinions like fashion accessories; caring little about utility or objective truth, and more about seeming virtuous in front of your peers. And so arrives a plethora of mugs, t shirts, and tote bags, that ram our self righteous political beliefs into the faces of others, with little care for what’s right. Because, and I hate to say this – what’s right, is rarely what is popular. And to be progressive, is not to blindly pick up the most en-vogue political ideas in front of you, and wave them above your head. To be progressive is often to rock the boat and throw stones at popular convention, to lift up and advocate for evidence based truth, regardless of the personal cost. To be a progressive is to lie down on a bed of nails, and endure what comes next, in support your beliefs. To do what is hard, not what is easy, or popular, or what your friends do. I no longer consider myself as ‘woke’, and have since joined the cynical crowd that stands opposite them. Instead, I have done the work to understand the nuanced and often contradictory nature of social issues, to swallow my pride, and change my mind when I need to, and confront those around me when I must. So what is woke to you? ~ Sources Crime By Population  DV Murray Straus  UNESCO Education  Stranger Violence 

2023-11-08