The Difference between being "Awake" vs. "Woke."

This article addresses a core issue many people miss: the need for collective action in fragmented, identity-based struggles. Economic and systemic challenges affect everyone, regardless of personal identifiers, yet hyper-individualism often derails the discourse.Understand first, you will encounter various types of people on the spectrum and continuum of our shared reality. For instance, some examples:

• The Optimist believes in the ideal state of being and works to achieve it.?
• The Pragmatist believes that anything plausible and possible is also probable with the proper focus and action plan.
• The Realist accepts the difference between what they think and what they are experiencing.
• The Pessimist sees the negative in any situation with no potential for a positive outcome.?
• The Nihlist actively works with a defeatist mindset toward a dystopian reality.?

As such, in my opinion being "A.W.A.K.E" is understanding that there have always been institutionalized values and beliefs that affect everyone: government oversight, taxes,? racism, and sexism.

And.

Being "W.O.K.E "is more about ego posturing and identity politics that place individual concerns over group dynamics. Like discussing sexual orientation in the workplace, religious or political preference. Instead of broaders discussions of meaningful wage growth versus executive compensation, lack of affordable healthcare and housing, and poor public education. That affect larger portions population.

When people stop worrying about their interests and focus more on the broader sweeping issues of social change, they will realize that more things bind people together, especially “working class” people. Then separate them. No one cares what color you are or who you love when they're living paycheck to paycheck. They can't afford to save for retirement, buy a house, or raise a family. Or go bankrupt if they get critically ill.?

It was never about “you” vs. “me,” but what is best for “us and we.” As the rest of the world watches us become more divided over personal issues; while they work towards growing their economic resilience to become the next global superpower; in my humble opinion, the diffrence between being:

A.W.A.K.E

• Aware: Of bigger issues that affect many people.
• Work Ethic: Willingnes to work toward positive social change for the majority.??
• Accountable: For how our personal actions affect group dynamics
• Keen: To understand diverse perspectives and that we are all interconnected.
• Engaged: In creating solutions that improve the quality of most people’s lives.?

And beng.

W.O.K.E

Willfully Ignorant: More concerned about their needs and less about significant social issues.?

Overbearing: They want others to focus on their issues and less on more significant social problems.?

Kept: They want the system to focus on their issues and less on social group dynamics.?

Entitled: Feel they are owed respect for simply existing regardless of their contribution to society.

"A rising raises all boats." This is a sink-or-swim moment for the U.S. We will either come together over common issues and values or take a back seat as the rest of the world works towards the common goals of their collective best interests.

The irony is that by focusing on structural issues—wage stagnation, healthcare access, affordable housing, and education reform—we can uplift the groups that identity politics claims to champion. However, when movements prioritize self-expression over tangible policy changes, they become distractions rather than solutions.

The rest of the world isn’t waiting for the U.S. to figure itself out. Countries like China, India, and those in the Global South are focusing on economic power, technological innovation, and infrastructure. At the same time, the U.S. is bogged down in internal conflicts that weaken its long-term resilience.

This framework—Awake vs. Woke—puts the focus back where it belongs: collective progress, responsibility, and an understanding that we rise or fall together. The challenge is getting more people to shift their thinking from “me” to “we” before it’s too late.?