THE VIBE SHIFT

The What

Vibe shifts are not just fleeting moments of change. They are pivotal transitions that shape the trajectory of society. Those who are attuned to the vibe shift will be able to position themselves to engage with the world as it is, rather than to a world that they imagine it to be.

The Vibe shift

A subtle yet seismic shift is underway. If you look closely, you will notice that people are beginning to reject the worn-out orthodoxies that have dominated politics, culture and identity for the last 15 years. There's a "vibe shift," a realignment of values that feels less like a revolution and more like a quiet reawakening.

Beneath the noise of the news cycle lies a growing dissensus: the old narratives no longer serve us. This vibe shift represents a rejection of dogma, characterized by a growing sentiment that progressive narratives no longer resonate with contemporary experience. Whilst the terms of the vibe sift were left unspoken in polite company, you needed to see them to spot them.

Jordan Peterson

The shift started with the sudden and intense interest in Jordan Peterson, whose discussions about personal responsibility and order engaged many young men seeking direction in a complex world that seemed to have left them behind. The media could not understand Peterson. They could not square their ideology with his facts. He was simply written off as a right wing chauvinist. ?

What they didn’t see was that Peterson's influence reflected an unexpressed intellectual curiosity. Young men wanted to explore pathways to clarity and purpose, in a world that was increasingly untethered to common sense.

Peterson’s popularity was no anomaly. It was a sign of a broader intellectual hunger, for which he and the rest of the members of the Intellectual Dark Web catered. People became sick and tired of the moral relativism and ethical ambiguity that was necessary to avoid "offence". The searching for an enduring truth became a valid endeavour.

Purveyors of news

One of the most striking indicators of this vibe shift is the rise of independent podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience, Tucker Carlson's show, Megyn Kelly's podcast, and the All-In Pod. These longform podcast have flourished as a medium, as audiences have increasingly abandoned the curated narratives of legacy media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and NBC.

Where traditional networks rely on soundbites and sensationalism, these podcasts offer long-form, substantive conversations that dive deep into complex issues with informed guests, providing the space for nuanced discussion. There is a reason that one of the candidates in a recent national election avoided the longform medium. It is penetrating, and there is nowhere to hide.

The decline of main-stream media reflects a growing dissatisfaction with top-down, agenda-driven reporting and corporate influence. People don't want to be told what to think any longer. They want access to material that enables them to think for themselves and form their own opinions.

Strange Bedfellows

In the political sphere, strange bedfellows are forming alliances that defy conventional wisdom. Traditional Democrats like RFK Jr., Elon Musk and Tulsi Gabbard aligned themselves with centrist Republicans, such as Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump. This vibe shift is more significant than CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and NBC care to reveal.

It is emblematic of a profound rejection of the status quo. This centrist coalition signals not just a rejection of establishment politics, but an embrace of the will of the people. The coalition platform is premised on a rejection of the deep state, the fourth, unconstitutional arm of government, populated by unelected civil servants and overpaid consultants. ?

Jaguar / Jaa-hg

Jaguar’s recent advertising campaign, roundly derided as tone-deaf and pandering, serves as a cautionary tale. What might have once passed as progressive messaging is now being seen for what it often is: corporate virtue-signaling that rings hollow.

Consumers are increasingly skeptical of brands attempting to profit from cultural movements they neither understand nor authentically support. The backlash against Jaguar’s campaign is a reminder that authenticity matters more than ever.

Jaguar's response to those critical of the campaign as "a blaze of intolerance" misses the point.

Rejection of the institutions

At the heart of the vibe shift is a growing mistrust of the institutions that once claimed to be society’s bedrock. For decades, the public were told to place unwavering faith in bureaucracies, multinational organizations, and technocratic experts. Yet these very institutions have repeatedly failed to deliver on their promises, leaving many disillusioned.

The man on the Clapham Omnibus has no time for the grumblings of Greta Thunberg and mumblings of Al Gore. He has no interest in the edicts emanating from the WEF, DAVOS or the IPCC either.

There is a significant and growing skepticism in the power wielded by NGOs and the interests that they

Say what?

This vibe shift is not a single, coordinated movement. It is a mosaic of responses to a world that feels increasingly unrecognizable. But there’s a unifying thread, a rejection of the fleeting in favour of that which endures. The superficial is rejected in favour of the substantial. It’s not just a change in mood. It’s a recalibration of values.

If you ignore the vibe shift, you will be saddled with outdated assumptions and strategies as the world moves on. If you fail to see the world for what it is and where it's going, you may lose the opportunity to participate in a moment of profound realignment.

As Ferris Bueller aptly put it, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The same is true of this cultural pivot: pause, pay attention, and participate, or risk being left behind.