# How is anti-wokeism different from sexism and/or racism?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-anti-wokeism-different-from-sexism-and-or-racism/979604>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 11, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-anti-wokeism-different-from-sexism-and-or-racism/979604 "2023-02-11T01:12:21Z")\
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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-anti-wokeism-different-from-sexism-and-or-racism/979604/5 "2023-02-11T09:07:55Z")

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The fundamental quality of someone being “anti woke” is a claim that they won’t accept being told how to behave.

Except that we’re told how to behave all the time. Traffic laws, mortgage payments, workplace responsibilities — living in civilized society is about agreeing to compromise one’s independence. Freedom is not absolute.

Being anti woke is about refusing to be told what to do _on specific subjects **by specific kinds of people.** _ It is, inherently, a statement that “those people” do not have the authority to impose such a demand. It is _fundamentally_ an assertion of status. “_You people_ don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do.”

In short, then, being anti woke is absolutely a form of bigotry, but it’s the kind of quiet, insidious, indirect bigotry that gets a pass when our media narratives condition us to expect racism etc. to look like the Klan and other overtly violent and hostile forms of direct oppression.

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