What Does It Mean To Be Woke? Is It Positive Or Negative?

Last updated by Lauren Hart

“Oh, you think you’re so woke!” These words were thrown in my face as an insult. However, I didn’t take it as such, it even made me smile. Indeed, I didn’t find woke insulting, as I consider myself to be woke if you take the word at its origin! The problem is that since the term arrived in France, it’s very badly perceived. We hear about everything and anything, so what does “being woke” mean? What should we hold on to about woke thinking? We’ll explain this term that’s the subject of much debate.

What Does It Mean To Be Woke? Is It Positive Or Negative?
Contents: 

What does it mean to “be woke”?

Let’s start at the beginning. The term “woke” comes from American English and means “to be awake”. It appeared in the US in the 2010s, on Twitter in particular with the hashtag #StayWoke. How did this word come about? Initially, it was the African-American community that started using it to denounce social inequalities and injustices. Being woke means being aware of all the problems, stereotypes, and self-fulfilling prophecies, to which minorities are victims.

👉 The term has expanded to also include LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-racism, feminism, etc. It’s therefore about putting forward progressive and more open-minded ideas so that there’s equality for everyone.

A term criticized by the most conservative

Now, woke thinking is debated and instrumentalized on TV by the conservative right. For them, it endangers “true values”... François Cusset, professor of American civilization, explains that there are worse things than this lack of open-mindedness. Indeed, conservatives have attributed responsibility for the violence, such as feminicide, to “woke” people, when in fact the latter are the victims 🙃! For example, they blame violence against women on people from people of color and minority communities. Although these same people experience another form of violence through racism...

A term that’s become a catch-all

And beyond the political aspect, the term has become a catch-all. Anne Toulouse, a specialist in American politics, explains that it’s become a fashionable phenomenon. We even see companies calling themselves “wokist” to try and seduce younger people who identify with the movement, so they can sell their products better 🙄... So it’s become a communication tool that takes away from the essential questions posed by the movement initially. The more it goes on, the more we lose what the communities wanted to denounce in the first place because of marketing reappropriation.

>>> Discover; How to find out if you are in a toxic relationship

What should we hold on to about the woke movement?

In the end, the term was rejected by those who started using it. For African-American journalist Sam Sanders, the word has been rendered meaningless. By being repeatedly said, it’s been picked up by ultra-conservatives and opportunists, who weren’t really interested in people who are discriminated against. So it’s hard to call yourself a woke person today, because you may end up feeling the wrath of everyone.

Personally, I don’t mind being called woke, because I know what the origin of the word is and above all what my values are. And I think that’s what we should remember, the original values of this thought. You don’t have to consider yourself woke and shout about it, especially if you don’t have solid self-assertion and struggle making comebacks 😖.

Deconstruction work to be done besides a word

Being woke means being aware of the problems of others. It’s a way of putting yourself in the “shoes” of others to experience what they go through. It’s therefore a work of empathy to question the difficulties encountered by others in their daily lives.

We do deconstruction work of our own judgment and our behavior to do the best we can, so as not to be a toxic person. Of course, we need to be careful and not believe we’re in a child’s fantasy world by developing a savior syndrome 😅. Protecting yourself is important, but it’s about deconstructing collective thinking that locks up minorities and perpetuates violence.

Being conscious of your privileges

However, in order to deconstruct, we need to be able to question ourselves as individuals and question our privilege.

👉 As an overweight woman, I already experience a lot of violence (sexism and fat-phobia). Nevertheless, my skin color still gives me privileges compared to a person of color. It’s straight white cisgender men who have the most advantages, but they’re the ones who have the most difficulty being aware of this. Hence, there are too many men who still think they’re alpha males 😩...

In short, woke thinking is strongly criticized, but I think that we need to detach ourselves from the word in order to build an open and kind mind. This way, we get rid of the toxicity that can plunge us into unhappiness caused by the toxic behavior of others!

Editor’s note: A frightening context

Thanks to Lauren, you now know all about the term woke. Do injustices and inequalities cause you suffering? Does the world we live in make you anxious? Make an appointment with a psychologist to talk about it and to implement new habits that will allow you to live happier. Don’t forget that everything we don’t say leaves a mark...

🤗 Understanding yourself, accepting yourself, being happy... It’s here and now!

#BornToBeMe

Be sure to check out these articles;

Article presented by Lauren Hart

Writing is a beautiful means of expression that I cannot do without. It has allowed me to channel my hypersensitivity, plus I love writing about psychology and personal development. For me, self-understanding is the best way to move forward!

Our most popular 'happiness' articles:

Create your own happiness:

I’m Nostalgic; But How Can I Stop Looking Back?

Whenever I have trouble sleeping, whenever I’m bored or whenever my thoughts wander, it’s not uncommon for me to find myself reliving my childhood vacations, or a delightful weekend in bed or even my wedding day. Sometimes I even shed a tear thinking about these moments in my past 😢… Yes, I’m nostalgic, and I love revisiting memories, but that has to stop! Discover the steps to put in place if you want to live in the present!

What Should I Do For A Fresh Start? - 12 Steps To Follow

If you’re here reading this article, you’ve no doubt recently made a literal life-changing decision. Realizing you want to change paths and take on new challenges is definitely admirable and very brave, but how can you make your wishes come true? The desire to start over is often motivated by an uncomfortable situation or disappointing realizations that can be difficult to bear. Suffering isn’t the solution, and we can to help you turn things around, which is why we’re about to give you our precious advice on turning things around. Who needs a magic wand when you have us?!

Serotonin - The Key To Happiness

Serotonin is part of the group of happiness hormones along with oxytocin, endorphins and dopamine. Although we all chase happiness, we are often unaware of the physiological mechanisms that enable us to improve our well-being. And yet, our body contains a whole production chain dedicated to serotonin. Let’s take a closer look at this incredible mechanism, how it works and its manufacturing secrets.

Why Are Millennials All So Unhappy At Work?

The big 3 – 0 milestone birthday is fast approaching for me, which has prompted me to confess that as a millennial, I’m completely unhappy at work. Ever since graduating from college, I’ve worked a conventional office job, but it just doesn’t give me the thrill I’m looking for and my friends of the same age all said the same things. So, I decided to look into it further and find out why my generation is so unfulfilled in jobs. Now, we often get a bad rap, but are we entirely to blame for this state of depression? Young people frequently take the blame, but the world is changing, and our generation doesn’t exactly benefit from the same economic boom as our parents, plus our goals are very different.

What Do All Happy People Have In Common?

To find happiness, everyone seems to have their own recipe. For some it’s sport, for others it’s therapy. But happy people seem to all have something in common. Clearly, the universal recipe for happiness does exist. To be happy, we should imagine the future through the lens of our failures. This speaks to me, but it seems contradictory. And yet, the recipe for happiness is just one letter: The B in plan B promises you more optimism and fulfillment.

10 Tips To Learn How To Be Happier

Achieving a state of happiness is quite a program! This feeling sometimes seems very difficult to achieve, and yet, being a little happier each day isn’t so complicated. But beware, there’s no miracle recipe, just a few habits to adopt in order to finally decide to be happy! It’s up to you!

Are You Hypersensitive?

Being super shy, stressed, emotional are all traits that made me realize I’m hypersensitive. Just like the fact that I’ve never seen a horror movie because I’m so afraid that my fear will become an uncontrollable emotion! On second thoughts, that probably should have been an indication, too. Hypersensitivity does indeed make you different, but the good news is, it’s neither an illness nor a pathology. In fact, it’s a character trait that I have and that I recognized several years ago.

10 Quotes About Freedom, Because We Sure Need It!

Ah, freedom, there's nothing quite like it. We have all learned how precious it is during these last months with the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of our liberties have been challenged, especially when it comes to moving around and traveling. To go where we want, when we want, is fundamental, but so is being able to make the choices for ourselves. A life without these privileges would be much less exciting! So, to remember the importance of freedom, here are 10 quotes to keep in mind.

15 Romantic Quotes That Will Definitely Warm Your Heart

Ah love, it’s what makes the world go round and is undeniably the most important factor in our lives for many of us. There’s no escaping this beautifully touching sentiment because it surrounds in movies, novels and our daily lives. Love comes in many forms; it can be passionate, earth-shattering, destructive, short-lived or even dangerous, yet we think its diversity only adds to its beauty. If you want to up the romance factor in your life and get someone’s heart to skip a beat, check out these quotes.

8 Things I Don't Care About And I'm Perfectly Okay With It

I often laze about instead of putting on my sneakers to go running. Other people might think my favorite group is uncool, but I know all their albums off by heart. So what? There’s no better way to be happy than to let go of the pressure and detach yourself from the gaze of others to be yourself. In any case, I feel much better since I stopped attaching importance to all that. In order for us to all let go together, I will reveal to you 8 things I don’t care about, and it feels good!

Confidence

Wengood's favorite tunes 🎵

Wengood's playlist

wengood

  1. Only LoveBen Howard
    4:08
  2. Invalid date
  3. Fix YouColdplay
    4:55
  4. Beautiful DayU2
    4:08
  5. Thinking out LoudEd Sheeran
    4:41
  6. White FlagDido
    4:00
  7. Lay Me DownSam Smith
    4:13
  8. Nine Million BicyclesKatie Melua
    3:15
  9. Put Your Records OnCorinne Bailey Rae
    3:35
  10. Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey
    4:24
  11. Imagine - Remastered 2010John Lennon
    3:07
  12. Shake It OutFlorence + The Machine
    4:37
  13. Space Oddity - Love You Til Tuesday versionDavid Bowie
    3:46
  14. What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
    2:19
  15. With Or Without YouU2
    4:56
  16. HelloAdele
    4:55
  17. Don't Stop Me NowQueen
    3:29
  18. Skinny LoveBirdy
    3:21
  19. WingsBirdy
    4:12
  20. Californian SoilLondon Grammar
    3:41

How to detect a narcissist?

How to detect a narcissist?


"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." 

- Oscar Wilde