Dark woke: when being tolerant means not tolerating intolerance

What does it mean to be woke today, in practice? Very little, we fear. This term—now increasingly used by the most conservative corners of the web as a substitute for gender, with the same intent of turning it into a vague and confused scapegoat for everything that supposedly seeks to destroy the family and throw the world into fiery chaos—is linked to cancel culture, which doesn’t actually exist. It originally meant "sensitive to social and civil issues and willing to take action," but it has now lost all meaning. Today, woke (or wok, or uok) is a post-postmodern, ironic term, thrown around left and right, wielded and brandished. The right has managed to turn it to its advantage, as it always does. So much so that, before saying something even vaguely progressive, people preface it on social media with: "Not to be that woke friend, but..." And that's how we lost.

From woke to dark woke, from 2016 to 2025, from Trump’s first presidency to his second

Setting aside the linguistic and social analysis of the word woke—its short lifespan, its rise and fall, from 2016 to 2025—and sadly yet briefly acknowledging the power of the right (especially in the U.S.) to dictate the terms and conditions of online discourse with a pervasiveness that more progressive parties and figures can only dream of, we can still recognize some common traits among the so-called woke social media users. "The woke," whatever that means—whether they are online activists or simply users guilty of showing tolerance, kindness, and attentiveness to the needs of various marginalized groups, from the LGBT+ community to racialized groups—are usually very kind. They care about what is right and wrong, about not replicating the patterns of their "enemies," about thinking and reflecting rather than reacting angrily, about being rational. This is why they attack with less force. Even when they are right—in fact, precisely because they are.

Is dark woke the solution? A reflection on the communicative power of violence

But what if that weren’t the case anymore? What if the left (and therefore, simplifying, the woke) adopted the same aggressive tactics long used by conservatives? The answer to this question is dark woke, or violent woke, which does not tolerate intolerance in the name of a more tolerant society. Clear, right? Whether it works or not is too soon to tell. Some believe it’s a mistake, a way of becoming what one hates, of sinking to their irrational standards. Others, however, are riding the wave and having fun with online proclamations—a sort of energetic revenge, playful yet fierce, violent yet well-intentioned. What is worth discussing, though, is the stark gap in communicative effectiveness between conservatives and progressives. If "moderate" posts advocating kindness and solidarity don’t work, what should be done? If centrist slogans fail to gain traction, what’s left (literally)? If the fight is the fight, even when it’s online, and the goal is a better life for everyone—including marginalized groups—does the end justify the means? But also: why does violence work better? What does it stir in us? What does it provoke?