"Umbrella term for individuals who are engrossed by social justice and thinks of themselves as saviors with a moral high ground
"
—Urban Dictionary
"derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination".12 Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, sexism, and denial of LGBT rights."
—[derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination".12 Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, sexism, and denial of LGBT rights.
—Wikipedia article
As with so many words in modern English language, this word's meaning has taken a turn. Whereas it used to be used as a general descriptor for liberal awareness, it's become a perjorative term by some in the social-politcal arena (especially on the political right) to describe anyone whose views and desire for change are in opposition to theirs.
More militantly-outspoken people on the right used to use the expression "social Justice warrior" to describe anyone opposing or teaching views they deemed as hostile or adversarial to their own agenda. That seems to have fallen out of favour, in favour of "woke". Any person or group working in opposition tp {current talking point} is now likely to be referred to in this way:
""'woke' is a colloquial term used to describe the manifestation of the latest iteration of Marxist principles as they are when applied to culture rather than economics." (Again, amazingly, Urban Dictionary has nailed it.)
I'm not generally plugged into social media memes and I tend to avoid the more extreme talking-head opinions of either side, so for a long time I wasn't really aware of the deeper meaning or usage of the word in an "antipathetical to me/us" frame. I have a theory that it's related to the "Wake up, sheeple!" meme, suggesting that "whilst you may consider yourself informed about {this truth}, you are really not, and furthermore you could not be more wrong".
I was recently referred to as "woke" when I came to the defence of a customer in a café, who'd taken exception to remarks made to her about her appearance and slurs on her nature and character. Now I loathe bullies and despise the small-minded so I rose up. After the attacker accused me of having bought in to the "queer agenda", this shitstain of a human being proceeded to lay into me with verbal abuse and invective. God forbid I should have my own views that differed from hers. "Think of the children!" came up a couple of times, and it was clear where this budget Marjorie Taylor Greene was coming from and where she was headed. Anything said to her was met with hostility, and "woke" it seems was the worst thing she could think of to call me. It's the first time in a while that I've been in such a position, so the passion behind her utterence of the word surprised me. It was the verbal equivalent of having someone spit on me. It pleased me a little that the staff refused to serve her and she was ejected, all the while venting about how her freedoms were being denied. Yeah, freedom of speech clearly doesn't mean what you think it means, MTG-clone. Have fun walking another half-mile to Starbucks for the rest of your coffee-drinking life in this town, because I suspect you've been barred here.
After some discussion with a conservative friend, I came away with a renewed understanding of the word's modern meaning and use. He decribed it as a sheeplike adherence to something absurd. I was able to use it myself in this way during a confrontation with the local flat-earthers who'd escaped their booth at the farmers' market to spread their lunacy by buttonholing both shoppers and vendors. When they came to me with their arguments I dismissed them using some variation of my "anti-science woke" speech. The effect was instant and surprising. The shock at this accusation was real. He looked beaten for a heartbeat. A momentary stunned silence, followed by "They have brainwashed you!" was the response, and it was true. My brains had indeed been washed from birth (My dad was a navigator in the ROyal Air Force and I had seen photographs he'd taken at high altitude, showing earth's curvature.). I have little tolerance for conspiracy theory fools, and whilst I loathe either being labelled, am generally loth to label others. Nonetheless, there was satisfaction in doing son, and now I understand why the use has become popular. It's drawing a line in the sand between Us and Them, and I did feel superior by applying the label to someone whom I felt had followed this nitwittery, sheeplike.
$ xclip -o | wc -w
810