6/21/22

It’s scary to start to differentiate yourself from toxic woke culture because the reality is that many of us got caught up in it in the first place because we didn’t have a clear and solid sense of self to base our ethical consciousness on.

It’s not misguided to be afraid that if you ditch toxic woke culture you’ll be on a slippery slope to conservatism because it’s very natural once you start to question things to begin to wonder if it’s actually the opposite things that have been true all along.

If you lack a coherent ethical consciousness, that could very well happen. I know because as I started to differentiate myself it was a process, beginning to question what narratives had been used to reinforce cult-like dynamics and what was really true.

It’s important that you start to tease out the truth from the farcical conclusions that toxic woke culture takes that truth to.

Like yes, white supremacy is a real force in the world and there’s statistical, historical, and anecdotal evidence alike to support that reality.

It has enormous impacts on the lives of people across the globe and requires active effort to change.

But no, no one owes deference to anyone based on race, and “listening” to people of color doesn’t mean anyone is conferred irrevocable authority. It just means to step outside of a bubble you’ve been in and understand that there are forces affecting other’s lives in ways you may not understand or have firsthand experience with.

The point of getting out of toxic social justice culture is to reconnect with your own integrity.

And differentiation is about learning how to honor yourself through connection with others.

That means holding yourself where you need to, even in opposition to others, but it also means knowing where it’s in your integrity to accept the influence of others and to care for them accordingly.

Many of the values I held when I was caught up in toxic social justice culture have stayed the same- some have changed- but many if not most have remained the same.

It’s taken time to sift through and decide what was truly my personal code of ethics, my knowledge based on verifiable facts, and what was indoctrination within a subculture that demands agreement and enmeshment to be a part of it.

If you are starting to question toxic social justice culture for

yourself, the best piece of advice I can give you is to enter in with both your best critical thinking skills, and a goal to connect to your solid sense of self.