Sheeple
“Sheeple” is a term that some people use to imply they are superior to other people who have view that differ from their own. It is IMO very arrogant.
While I may disagree with opinions of other people, I will not use such a term. Yes I do in some cases think that my opinions and views are superior. But I will attempt, sometimes unsuccessfully, to back my opinions and views with facts.
IMO the use of such terms is a show of immaturity. It shows that you do not have a real argument to prove that your opinions and views are better.
I too find it offensive when people lump other people into neat little groups according to their own categorical thinking. Every person is an individual. I prefer to allow people to be individuals because I think people are like snowflakes….no 2 are alike. It interests me to meet many and varied people. Some have condemned me for that. Like the coworker who was offended when I sat down on the lawn at work and joined in conversation with a homeless man or woman. (I’m not being flip or unkind because he/she was born with sex organs for both sexes and he/she, in his 50’s, had yet to decide for himself if he was male or female.) Where my coworker was offended, I was interested in the person and gave him/her some of my time and attention plus my apple that I brought for lunch. That and to allow that person to feel like a human for, at least, a little while. I’m sure that person felt a lot of judgements, rejection and pain from too many other people. That should not be. No one should feel they are less than another person and I feel like it is every person’s responsibility to treat others with kindness, decency and courtesy, and then add enough to let them feel good about themselves for a little while…until they run into the next person who will judge them. I think this is the reason why it enrages me when I see one person judge another. That is my flaw… Well, one of them. 😆 :love:
“Sheeple”….yep, the DREADED word that works no matter HOW you use it.
If you are a liberal and agree with OTHER Liberals, you are a sheeple.
Likewise with Conservatives agreeing with OTHER Conservatives.
Common word is “agreeing with others”
When a person AGREES with somebody else, it does NOT make them a sheeple.
Sheeple is more a term that means that somebody who actually has to be COMPLETELY dependent on OTHERS for part near EVERYTHING they do in their lives.
It could fit “fundamentalists” well, but then again, we cant put others down for their religion.
Buddhism would be adhering to principles and devoutness just as great as what is expected from Fundamentalists but nobody attacks Buddhists.
Basically though, your blog makes perfect sense because its just about people using ad-hominem.
I was called a Radical a few days ago because I wouldn’t agree that a person deserves life in prison without parole for financial gain and that they duped the voters out of their chance to vote.
Ad-hominem doesn’t do anything for the advancement of credibility in the issue of the argument.
The bloody NRA and their supporters use that term to describe Australians all the time…
bloody Nefariously Rude and Arrogant
I prefer the term “Lemmings” as it brings to mind that old Disney nature film where the camera crew threw live lemmings off of a cliff in order to perpetuate the myth that lemmings would kill themselves in order to follow the group. Whenever I see people allowing themselves to be herded around against their best interests, there’s sure to be someone behind it all cashing in like a king.
monKey see MONKey do?
There are people that for whatever reason—let others think for them. John, you posit that people use the term to imply that their ideas and opinions are superior to others…
I have no problem with your definition here, but it seems like you are defending the continued acceptance of some of our electorate watching a television news story that features politically slanted opinions against gay people, against black people, against religious groups and against competing political stances on issues and then blogging about ot or regurgitating the “facts” they just heard by Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Nancy Pelosi or any of the more recognizable political operatives that pose as news anchor reporters etc.
The most famous examples of what I could apply the term Sheeple to would be the voting mass in Germany when they vaulted Hitler into power based on their hunger pangs and charisma of the brownshirt candidate—SHEEPLE—-6 Million jews later and an ass kicking at the hands of cooler heads woke these sheeple from blindly following the crowd.
Another is Joe McCarthy’s big red scare, another is the religious zealots that led people to burn people at the stake for being “witches”…
Sheeple are real. Sheeple can be extremely dangerous because when you combine laziness or outright ignorance with a ballot—and give Glen Beck a megaphone…you experience sudden groundswells of “patriotism” and stupid laws such as Defense Of Marriage Act, The Patriot Act, Jim Crow laws and the rest…
Don’t follow the crowd. Don’t be a member of the Sheeple Society. Don’t mark your ballot based on someone else’s hatred of another group or whatever…Find Facts, learn history, look at actual congressional voting records, and apply common sense when someone tries to sell you on an idea that makess you feel queasy because down deep inside—you know it is wrong to target hatred toward Blacks, Muslims, LGBTQ folks and Mexicans that want what every other human desires—freedom to make a living.
I myself have used this term to spotlight ignorance. I don’t do it to project self importance—I do it because there are hardworking people barely making it in this world that are supporting political ideals that will steamroll them in a second after they vast the winning ballot…
Something to think about.
after reading the comments I am thinking of Eric Cantor.
ALL selfProclaimed Tea Partiers I have spoken with seem to be for NOT ending MediCare
Eric Cantor is a Self Proclaimed Tea Party Politician
Who feels he was elected by the Tea Party.
And Has said the Tea Party who voted for him.
Wants him to end MediCare.
I first noticed the term being used to describe people who totally buy into the illusion of Mainstream Corporate America. Then I noticed that the term was being used by people in the Tea Party Movement, which pretends to be a libertarian movement, but which is financed by Corporate Special Interest Groups intent upon a Corporate takeover of our government
I think most the time when someone uses the word sheeple it is meant to insult. Much like the right using the libturd name or the left using conservaturd.
I do know of people that will follow blindly, I’ve seen it in action. I always try to get to the truth of any matter and not just accept somebody else’s take on a situation. Where there will always be fundamental differences in opinions, there is a huge difference between fact and outright fiction.
February 3, 2006 Urban Word of the Day
People unable to think for themselves. Followers. Lemmings. Those with no cognitive ablilities of their own.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sheeple
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080107194158AAqYdJy
http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-of/sheeple
http://base.google.com/base/a/164856728649804043
It means different things to different people. Has nothing to do with Ron Paul or Fox News….
When I first heard the term was when Obama was running for office. And it was used in the context of someone who followed him with out knowing HIM…they just liked what he said. Since then I’ve heard it used in many different ways….
To me, it’s blindly following someone with out knowledge. But that’s just my take on it…others use the term differently.
There is probably some statistic at which point X amount of people agreeing upon something become,in the eyes of their opposition,sheeple. At which point the opposition also become sheeple. Because as soon as there is a consensus on any issue,each group will attempt to denigrate the other. Humans are essentially a herd animal,after all,so this behaviour is probably innate to us.
Anyway,I agree – I would never use the term (if I was having a personal debate with anyone – ANY ad hominem is forfeiting your argument),but were I speaking objectively about a group of people I didn’t know,had never spoken with,etc,then yes I would use it. Not so much to be derogatory,but simply because it can be the right word in certain circumstances (Dustup made some good examples).
We are all equally shepherds and sheep,depending upon where the lines are drawn at any given moment.
As an insult..for me it doesn’t work. My Narcissistic Personality Disorder refuses to allow me to feel insulted by anyone,because I only hold them in contempt and you cannot be insulted by those you deem to be beneath you
Okay,yes,I’m being a little facetious there 🙂 But nevertheless there is some truth in that. Insults don’t sting unless they are from the mouth of somebody I love. So that means there is a grand total of six people in the whole world who are capable of insulting me. Is it the same for others?