h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is funny how phrases can be so quickly mocked on social media, and it takes a while to track back to find the original source. 'authoritarian tolerance' is an interesting phrase - "'woke' in some unspecified manner." but also indicates that criticism of 'woke' is criticism of tolerance, which should have made the person who said it think more deeply...

This is a timely article, as there is currently a discussion over on Fairyland A87788470 - some people like to use nicknames for the animals there, but one particular nickname is an offensive term (in some places but not in others). Someone asked if the term should be banned from the site (eg added to the site's filther), someone else agreed as he had experienced racial abuse on the site in the past, and then someone else piped up with "I fear the world has gotten too 'woke'." The discussion was 'woke' as the people who hadn't realised it is an insult had been awakened to the fact. However, the discussion wasn't 'too 'woke'' - some can ignore their new knowledge and carry on upsetting people, but others will do better

I hope they WILL do better! Nobody needs to find that kind of thing on their timeline.

I would prefer if people stopped using the word woke (too vague) and started having meaningful conversations about tolerance and how to achieve it instead. Normality changes as well, not just language. My dad used to drown excess kittens when he was young. This was common practice at the time. I wonder what future generations will have to say about us.

I, too, am hoping the word 'woke' will soon have run its course. We don't need a label: we need people to love their neighbours.

I also hope that humans keep trying to learn to do better. After all, contrary to some people's notions, the 'old days' were not better when it came to human behaviour.

Now, most of the time, the environment was better off... Not always, though: I'd rather be where I am now than most times in the past. (First, there was primeval forest. Then there was an oil boom and a forestry boom that caused pollution. Now, our river is featured in magazines and has won an award.)