How is “Woke” used today? (Part Two)

That evolution is leading us to the messy part found in the meaning of “Woke”. 

In the 2020s, the word became politicized and weaponized, to the point that today, it has two very different meanings, depending on who’s using it. First, there’s a positive or neutral meaning of woke that means being socially aware, empathetic, and attentive to inequality. 

Then there’s a negative or critical meaning that was perverted by the Trump’s MAGA movement, to indicate an overreach in social activism, moralizing, or enforcing ideological conformity. 

This negative meaning is extremely broad and often used as a catch‑all insult for any progressive progressive ideas, diversity initiatives, inclusive language, academic or educational theories, corporate public relations, or more broadly used for anything perceived as “too politically correct”. 

Because it’s used so broadly, “woke” often loses its precision and many writers struggle to define it. So, It’s not just my imagination, but the reality is that far too many people who use the word heavily are woefully unable to define it clearly. Tomorrow I will attempt to explain the reasons behind this confusion, so please stay tuned.