One of the reasons Wokism is so seductive is because it appeals to all the basest human characteristics.
Tribalism is obviously one. You're automatically part of a tribe, and you can easily identify the enemy tribe.
Envy: That other tribe has nice stuff that they were only able to get by exploiting you.
Abdication of personal responsibility: Your situation is not the result of your own decisions and behavior. It's that other tribe, which have created the entire system to hold you back It's their fault, not yours.
Hatred. You should hate that tribe, because they are out to get you.
Self-righteousness: You are right and just to want to harm that tribe. You can burn their stuff down and feel good about it.
Laziness: You don't have to make any more effort to determine the truth, or evaluate ideas based on merit. That stuff is hard. Instead, your truth is your "lived experience," and anyone who disagrees with that is your oppressor.
Narcissism: Your public denouncing, cancelling, shrieking, chanting empty slogans, and other low-effort signaling draws attention to you to let everyone know what a wonderful person you are.
More laziness: After all the white supremacist patriarchal cis-heteronormative capitalist institutions (i.e. Western Civilization) have been completely destroyed, a new utopian society will magically pop up in its place, and everyone will finally be equal, and all your needs will be provided for.
Enlightenment values, however, are more challenging:
You are free to do what you want, but you are accountable for your actions. If you take risks, you may face negative consequences.
Nobody owes you anything. Life isn't fair. You have the right to pursue happiness, but that doesn't mean you'll get it, even if you work really hard.
You'll have to use reason to evaluate ideas and find the truth. You may even experience uncertainty. This can be uncomfortable.
Others are free to express ideas you might not like. You can't just say "you're oppressing me!" and expect that they will be silenced. You might actually have to pit your ideas against their and run the risk of being proven wrong.
No end state. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Whew, that sounds like hard work! Think I'll just go on Twitter and call everybody I don't like a racist.
One of the reasons Wokism is so seductive is because it appeals to all the basest human characteristics.
Tribalism is obviously one. You're automatically part of a tribe, and you can easily identify the enemy tribe.
Envy: That other tribe has nice stuff that they were only able to get by exploiting you.
Abdication of personal responsibility: Your situation is not the result of your own decisions and behavior. It's that other tribe, which have created the entire system to hold you back It's their fault, not yours.
Hatred. You should hate that tribe, because they are out to get you.
Self-righteousness: You are right and just to want to harm that tribe. You can burn their stuff down and feel good about it.
Laziness: You don't have to make any more effort to determine the truth, or evaluate ideas based on merit. That stuff is hard. Instead, your truth is your "lived experience," and anyone who disagrees with that is your oppressor.
Narcissism: Your public denouncing, cancelling, shrieking, chanting empty slogans, and other low-effort signaling draws attention to you to let everyone know what a wonderful person you are.
More laziness: After all the white supremacist patriarchal cis-heteronormative capitalist institutions (i.e. Western Civilization) have been completely destroyed, a new utopian society will magically pop up in its place, and everyone will finally be equal, and all your needs will be provided for.
Enlightenment values, however, are more challenging:
You are free to do what you want, but you are accountable for your actions. If you take risks, you may face negative consequences.
Nobody owes you anything. Life isn't fair. You have the right to pursue happiness, but that doesn't mean you'll get it, even if you work really hard.
You'll have to use reason to evaluate ideas and find the truth. You may even experience uncertainty. This can be uncomfortable.
Others are free to express ideas you might not like. You can't just say "you're oppressing me!" and expect that they will be silenced. You might actually have to pit your ideas against their and run the risk of being proven wrong.
No end state. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Whew, that sounds like hard work! Think I'll just go on Twitter and call everybody I don't like a racist.