they hate ‘wokeness,' because it demands kindness
When did treating people with respect become so controversial?
People on the internet have been trying to turn the word "woke" into an insult, just like they’ve done with words like "feminism." Suddenly, calling yourself a feminist makes you seem dumb or foolish, just because you believe in gender equality.
Maybe the demonization of words like "woke" and "feminist" isn’t about the words themselves, it’s about control. It’s about pushing back against anything that challenges the status quo, especially when those challenges come from marginalized voices, particularly women.
And the ones pushing this narrative? They’re often the same people who won’t bother to understand what feminism actually stands for. They don’t care to know what women are really fighting for. Or anyone is even fighting for.
The pattern is always the same. A word starts as something positive, something that represents progress, awareness, or care for others. Then, the people who feel threatened by change twist it, distort it, and weaponize it until it becomes a joke, an insult, something people feel ashamed to be associated with.
It didn’t take me long to realize that anything associated with women gets dismissed, downplayed, or ridiculed simply because it’s "feminine." Women aren’t allowed to love things too loudly, because once they do, it’s labeled as silly, shallow, unserious, or unimportant/trivial.
As if being feminine is a flaw.
Boy bands - Termed as too cringeworthy, while men obsessing over sports is termed as “cool.”
Asian dramas - Termed as too feminine (which is also deeply rooted in racism and homophobia.)
Feminism - Termed as fighting for a lost cause, or dismissed as “less important.”
Empathy - Termed as too soft.
Romance novels - Dismissed as “thrashy” or “guilty pleasures.”
Astrology - Mocked as irrational or silly.
Skincare/Makeup - Seen as vain or shallow yet we’re expected to look our best.
All of these are constantly belittled because they’re loved/practiced mostly by women.
And yet, these same people will turn around and praise men for doing the exact same things. Men care about social issues? That’s "rational activism." Men enjoying something deeply? That’s "passion." It’s exhausting.
It’s the same way a woman who loves football is immediately doubted. Instead of just enjoying the sport, she’s interrogated, asked to name five or six players, quizzed on stats, like she has to pass a test just to be considered a ‘real fan.’ Meanwhile, a man can wear a jersey once and never have his knowledge questioned.
Now, "wokeness" is the new target. Being "too woke" is suddenly "too soft," "too fragile," or, of course, "too feminine." There are entire social media accounts, like "End Wokeness," on Twitter/X with over 3 million followers, dedicated to mocking basic human decency, masking their prejudices as some kind of noble fight against oversensitivity.
“Woke”? Used to mean being socially conscious, but now it’s been hijacked as an insult to shut people up.
But let’s be honest, what does being "woke" really mean?
Isn’t it just about having empathy?
Being kind?
Accepting people for who they are?
Minding your business?
What’s so exhausting about wanting everyone to live freely and be treated with respect? What’s so threatening about minding your business and letting people exist in peace? Why does equality shake certain people to their core?
The hate for "wokeness" is just another way to justify bigotry while pretending it’s about "common sense" or "fighting back against cancel culture." But really, it’s just people who can’t stand the idea of a world where everyone gets a fair shot. Where kindness, respect, and equality are the norm.
At its core, being woke is about recognizing struggles that aren’t our own and choosing to be kind anyway. It’s about treating plus-sized people with dignity instead of mocking them. It’s about respecting queer people instead of reducing their existence to a debate. It’s about acknowledging that beauty standards are arbitrary and that so-called "ugly" people deserve respect just as much as anyone else. It’s about supporting the trans community instead of making their identity a punchline.
Somehow, simply being decent has become controversial.
It’s wild how the bare minimum, respecting people, acknowledging their struggles, standing up for what’s right, is seen as radical. How did we get to a point where kindness has become an ancient emotion for some people? Where the idea of treating marginalized groups with respect is seen as "too much"?
Everyone has become so hateful.
These days, being rude and indifferent is framed as ‘cool,’ while empathy is mocked as being overly sensitive.
Is it power? The need to maintain control?
People who fight against progress aren’t actually "tired of wokeness," they’re afraid of losing their dominance. They don’t want a fair world. They want one where their privilege remains untouched.
So, they weaponize language.
They turned "feminism" into "man-hating." They turned "woke" into a joke. They twist words meant to uplift people into something ugly, something shameful. Because if they can turn empathy into an insult, they can discourage people from choosing kindness at all.
But here’s the truth: If fairness and equality make some people uncomfortable, maybe they were benefiting from the unfairness all along.
At the end of the day, we’re all going to die. Literally! Do we want to be people who fought against everyone's happiness? Against people wanting to be who they want to be? Against people who just want to be accepted in a world where everyone is supposed to live their own lives and mind their own damn business? Do we want to be people who fought for what’s right, who stood up for others, who chose compassion over ignorance?
Or do we want to be people who clung to outdated ideas and made the world harder for future generations?
If being "woke" means caring about others, then I’ll wear the label proudly. Because in a world that profits off division and indifference, choosing to care is one of the most rebellious things you can do.
This was such good read, I loved every bit of it💯