Sheeple? What's it mean?

I just read something that was completely different than what I understood for the term "sheeple".

I always understood it to mean those who blindly follow along with others, not using their own intelligence and ability to reason to make informed decisions for themselves.

But one of the mods here pointed this out: "sheeple" is a derogatory term toward certain political leanings".

So I looked it up in Wikipedia, which says this, in part:

"In political usage, it can be used to refer to a member of any political party, (bold added) and is especially applied to those who take a hard party line stance or who are especially trusting of any (bold added) politician."

Wikipedia goes on to say:

"It is often used to denote persons who acquiesce to authority, and thus undermine their own human individuality. The implication of sheeple is that people believe whatever they are told, without processing it to be sure that it is an accurate representation of the real world around them. The term is generally used in a political or religious sense."

Since it can apply to a member of ANY political party, can it be applied toward those with "certain political leanings"?

That all said, I think the term is mostly used to deride those who have a herd mentality. "We do this because it's what we've always done!" or "These are the rules, just because these are the rules!"

I can understand someone being offended if grouped into a group labeled as "sheeple" but only because they believe in their individuality.

But used to describe a group who only does what they are told, because that's the way it's done? Those ARE sheeple!

Bill

Sounds to me like the definition has been politicalcorrectisized on the WIKI. This happens from time to time, you can create an account there and fix it if you like.

The term as I understand it doesn't really have a political meaning, except so far that one particular party is looked upon by the other as those more willing to do the thinking for their members.

bwaites said:

Since it can apply to a member of ANY political party, can it be applied toward those with "certain political leanings"?

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I would tend to think that it might be used in a derogatory way more towards those with left political leanings simply because those on the left tend to see greater government control (with the attendent loss of individual rights and responsibilities) as a good thing and not a bad one. Then again, the far right can be just as controlling in a different way, especially the religious right.

I personally have little respect for anyone who just blindly follows any school of thought, whether it be political or religious, without actually thinking the manner through for themselves. Then again, sad to say but the vast majority seem utterly incapable of any original thought.

Sheeple can also mean those who blindly follow nonsensical rules, even when nobody is around to enforce them. A good example is when I see people waiting at a corner for the pedestrian signal to change even when there isn't a single car on the road. No harm crossing on the red here, and cops seldom if ever give tickets for crossing on the red anyway. In other words, a thinking person never sees rules as absolute. Some rules (i.e. not crossing on the red) make sense some of the time. Others, such as not murdering people, make sense nearly all of the time (except in self-defense). Still others (not cycling on sidewalks) make sense none of the time. A thinking person should reason things out and act accordingly. Of course, it usually makes sense in a self-serving way to follow a nonsensical rule if the possibility of enforcement is high, but not the rest of the time.

Sheeple also applies to those who blindly follow fads. Don't even get me started on that one.

I'm guessing that this is in reference to my thread.

I, too, had no idea that there were any political implications, derogatory or otherwise. I thought it was like "unenlightened," except broader. To me, "sheeple" don't believe in carrying a flashlight, knife, screwdriver, etc., because "no one needs those things." Some of them even say things like "So, why do you carry a flashlight?" when a CPFer has just pulled out a light and saved the day (or night) during a power outage.

Now I know better, though!

Hah, not going there, here. I have my thoughts.
Topper

:laughing:

:lolsign: :lolsign:

Thank you, Bill, for taking it out of the thread in which it appears. The discussion could kill the topic that thread wished to cover.

bwaites said:

But one of the mods here pointed this out: "sheeple" is a derogatory term toward certain political leanings".

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I don't know if you're wanting to view that statement as saying it's not derogatory, or if you're saying the statement implies it can only be used against one political ideology. The phrase "certain political leanings" isn't intended to mean one can only apply it disparagingly to one. It's actually can be used in a derogatory fashion against many viewpoints.

The Wikipedia reference you used begins with the statement "a term of disparagement". Disparagement is a synonym of derogatory. Notice the similarity too in the definition of derogatory. The term "sheeple" isn't a term to define an opposing view of a particular political stand, like left, right, conservative, liberal or whatever. It's not a matter of political correctness. It's a matter of respect. It's a term designed to belittle, infer something inferior, or derogate.

The moderator you mention, whoever he was recommended an alternate choice of words in the title of a thread in order to give a thread that could become politically volatile a greater chance of survival. I know that moderator. I know he'd much rather see a thread survive than to have to prematurely shut it down because someone with a different view feels they've already been slammed from the start.

Sheeple is also applied in a derogatory fashion by the non-religious against the religious. If not for the effort to belittle, it would almost be funny. You see, I count myself, as many of them do, as part of a flock of sheep that's led and claimed by one that could be defined as the Good Shepard. I have a tendency to view those others that also count themselves as sheep as brothers and sisters. Becoming more sheep like in that regard, I count as a worthwhile pursuit.

I've always understood it to be a cross between the word sheep and people. Sheep are defenseless, mostly unintelligent animals that flock together. I've understood that sheeple are people who blindly follow a popular view on something rather than actually thinking for themselves. They are often completely oblivious to the reality of things.

Empath,

First, I was surprised by your description and use of the word.

I understood from your explanation, as you stated above, but it was a new meaning to me, as I stated, I had never seen it as a political statement before.

I did not want to detract from the existing thread, thus the new one.

I personally feel that sheeple is a fairly benign way of stating the obvious, those who blindly follow, especially those that follow unreasoning or unreasoned rules, as the person talked about in the thread did.

I would assume from your statement above that you neither blindly follow, nor expect others to do so.

That Shepard you speak of said, "Feed my sheep". He was not speaking, as I'm sure your understand, of a physical feeding, but of a spiritual and intellectual feeding, guidance that was to be provided by his apostles. In other words, he did not expect blind obedience. He expected his followers to "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you." as both Matthew and Luke document.

All of those require action. He expected active participation, a seeking of the truth: not a blind, unbending following of his words.

True followers of Christianity cannot be called sheeple, anymore than Einstein could be. They are active participants in an ongoing and growing group. Those who would term them sheeple have a poor understanding of the beliefs inherent in Christianity.

As you do, I seek after these things, indeed, Paul's admonition (paraphrased and condensed) is my personal belief:

I strive to believe all things, I strive to hope all things, I have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, I seek after these things.

But being one of the flock hardly alleviates my responsibility to seek and question and knock until I have found all.

Sheeple do none of those things, they simply follow because it is the easy thing to do.

True followers of the Shephard always remember one thing, HE never promised it would be easy, only that it would be worth it!

Bill

WIKI definitions aside, I always considered 'sheeple' to be docile, herd like and easily led. It is definately negative to me and has always been the state of the majority of mankind IMO.

No offense to the more religious among us. I never made any religious connection to the word.

I've always taken it to mean those who don't think for themselves and just follow everybody else. Nothing political or religious to it. Wiki is full of misinformation. Here's the most popular definition from Urbandictionary.

Sheeple
243 up, 20 down


People unable to think for themselves. Followers. Lemmings. Those with no cognitive ablilities of their own.

All the teens were wearing bell-bottoms because they were sheeple.

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Sheeple = sheep-like people; that's it in a nutshell. I have never heard of the term sheeple being used as a politically derogitory term. Nor will I use it in that way, sheeple are simply folks that just go along with the herd. Folks who would never think to carry a ____ (fill in the blanks..gun/knife/flashlight/EDC prepredness). "My God, why would you ever need to carry a _______ ?

Sinjz post describes them to a T. We've all met them...they're not hard to find, and they outnumber us.

Cliff

I've been known to tell people to "go back to the hive-mind, you won't be happy here." That's rather a step beyond "sheeple" - which, like others here, I take as a non-specific term indicating those who blindly follow leaders and trends. People who buy iPods - without even exploring the idea of some other sort of portable audio player, just because "everyone has an iPod" - are sheeple because they can't be bothered to think for themselves. That's not saying buying an iPod is a bad choice - it may be the ideal thing for your circumstances - but the term is a criticism of how some decided to make that particular purchase.

Sheeple can sometimes be woken up; hive-minders are apparently neurologically incapable of realizing that other people see things differently.

I tried to stay away so I failed at that. So I will try to be careful.
In politics we have 2 major parties in the US The D party and the R party.
I have heard (get the heard joke???never mind) both R members and D members refer to the other party members as Sheeple.
So you guys figure it out. I have not heard it used as an affront to a particular religion but I can see how that might happen.
Topper

I have to agree with the majority here, I've never heard it used in a derogatory way, and definitely never heard it used to reference anything religious.

The only use I've seen is to describe the vast majority of Americans who accept any law or rule without thinking or considering the unintended (or sometimes intended) consequences, rather than actively stand up for their rights.

In that context, the antonym would be "activist", which I don't consider offensive either.

I've actually never heard the term until right here, but I kind of like it! I can't see how it can be anything but derogatory to the person on the receiving end, just as calling someone "bad" or "unintelligent" or even "ill-informed" would not be well-received. However, I don't see it as offensive. I think we could cautiously discuss "sheeple" in a general sense, but we would cross the line if we directed the term at a specific member, which would be a personal attack and thus not welcome on the forum.

I also think that most likely everyone is sheeple-like in some areas of their lives, specifically areas they don't know much about and must therefore rely on the conventional wisdom. We can't all be experts or even especially savvy in everything! Wisdom (and thus dodging the sheeple label) comes from recognizing the areas in which we're doofuses and not trying to convince others that our way is correct just because.

is the word "conformists" an acceptable replacement word to be used instead of "sheeple" ?
..if not then I'll go along with, or without, whatever words the mod says I should.

baa.

jtr1962 said:

. . .

I personally have little respect for anyone who just blindly follows any school of thought, whether it be political or religious, without actually thinking the manner through for themselves. Then again, sad to say but the vast majority seem utterly incapable of any original thought.

. . .

Sheeple also applies to those who blindly follow fads. Don't even get me started on that one.

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Unfortunately, that is what most people who like and use the term "sheeple" tend to believe: that the vast majority of humans in modern society are incapable of the deep, profound, enlightened, and intelligent thought that THEY are.

Yes. Yes ineed. A long time ago now I had an experience that really opened my eyes to something. I worked with someone who was crude and somewhat brutish. He would get drunk most every night, show up late for work, liked music that I really didn't, and held a lot of views that I very much disagreed with.

I am ashamed to say that I looked down on him; I think I felt that he was somehow less than me; one of the unwashed masses or something like that.

And then, one day, he commented on a very popular song that was playing on the radio. He said that he really hated it and he had no idea why it was so popular. And then he said, "Well, I suppose the masses like it" in a tone that implied that the tastes of the majority of the people couldn't be trusted to be anything but base and unrefined.

And it hit me all in one lightning strike of a moment--split my head wide open. I realized all at once that this guy and I were both the same--and that we were both wrong--and that I was no better, no more worthy than him.

And I laughed with the force of the revelation, and I said to him "WE ARE THE MASSES!"

In fact, I would bet that nothing is more common than this belief of being set apart, being uncommon, being somehow more informed, more thoughtful, more . . . whatever.

I have to agree with LED BriCK most whole heartedly:

LED BriCK said:

I also think that most likely everyone is sheeple-like in some areas of their lives, specifically areas they don't know much about and must therefore rely on the conventional wisdom. We can't all be experts or even especially savvy in everything! Wisdom (and thus dodging the sheeple label) comes from recognizing the areas in which we're doofuses and not trying to convince others that our way is correct just because.

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Well said.

Or perhaps a Chesterton quote is in order here?

But the thing which is really required for the proper working of democracy is not merely the democratic system, or even the democratic philosophy, but the democratic emotion. The democratic emotion, like most elementary and indispensable things, is a thing difficult to describe at any time. But it is peculiarly difficult to describe it in our enlightened age, for the simple reason that it is peculiarly difficult to find it. It is a certain instinctive attitude which feels the things in which all men agree to be unspeakably important, and all the things in which they differ (such as mere brains) to be almost unspeakably unimportant. The nearest approach to it in our ordinary life would be the promptitude with which we should consider mere humanity in any circumstance of shock or death. We should say, after a somewhat disturbing discovery, "There is a dead man under the sofa." We should not be likely to say, "There is a dead man of considerable personal refinement under the sofa." We should say, "A woman has fallen into the water." We should not say, "A highly educated woman has fallen into the water." Nobody would say, "There are the remains of a clear thinker in your back garden." Nobody would say, "Unless you hurry up and stop him, a man with a very fine ear for music will have jumped off that cliff." But this emotion, which all of us have in connection with such things as birth and death, is to some people native and constant at all ordinary times and in all ordinary places. It was native to St. Francis of Assisi. It was native to Walt Whitman. In this strange and splendid degree it cannot be expected, perhaps, to pervade a whole commonwealth or a whole civilization; but one commonwealth may have it much more than another commonwealth, one civilization much more than another civilization. No community, perhaps, ever had it so much as the early Franciscans. No community, perhaps, ever had it so little as ours.

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The term "Sheeple" is a nasty, thoughtless, disrespectful, and useless term. It engenders in discourse the very nature it despises. Yes. Instead of bothering to struggle with understanding and comprehending the vast array of human types, sensibilities, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and insights and lacunae that make up "the people", it just writes them all off in one fell swoop as a bunch of sheep being if not led, then caged and waiting for the slaughter.

The sheeple are us, people. So let's not insult our own selves, shall we? We're not so special. We're not so smart. Not on the whole. Not on this level.

And yes, it is true, that some people are exceptional. Some are scientific geniuses, some are literary geniuses. Some have given more thought to how they would cope with a disaster. Some have given more thought to flashlights, or knives, or washing machines. Some have more mathematical training than others. Some have more facility with words and abstract concepts.

But that doesn't mean we are humans and those others--the 'vast' majority--are "sheep." That's a disgusting sentiment. Count me with the sheep in that case, OK? At least their hearts are in the right place.

js said:

Unfortunately, that is what most people who like and use the term "sheeple" tend to believe: that the vast majority of humans in modern society are incapable of the deep, profound, enlightened, and intelligent thought that THEY are.

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Wrong, wrong, wrong! On the contrary I see myself as a blundering, unenlightened idiot and try to learn something new whenever I can. My comment refers to the vast majority who by age 22 or so feel they are done with school, have learned everything worth learning, and basically from that point onwards only grudgingly learn what they need in order to do their jobs. All the while though they act like they know everything about every subject. In other words, the wonder of discovery which is inate in just about every child is lost in most by the time they reach adulthood. I'm not implying I'm better in any way at all. I'm not but I have the courage to admit it, and at least try to learn a few new things once in a while. I also won't hesitate to hold my tongue if I know little about a subject, or to ask questions. Sadly, society as a whole doesn't reward or encourage learning any more. Instead, we have a mediocre society based solely on consumerism and accumulating wealth for its own sake. And I regret to say that formal education, or lack of it, has no correlation with whether or not someone might merit the term "sheeple". Some of my college professors had the thickest skulls imaginable.

The sheeple are us, people. So let's not insult our own selves, shall we? We're not so special. We're not so smart. Not on the whole. Not on this level.

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On the galactic scale of intelligence I wouldn't be surprised if humans hold a place similar to the place we put ants relative to ourselves. It's nothing to be ashamed of, either. We just haven't evolved enough yet. I don't want to see us halt or even go backwards on account of people who just can't see our (or their own) potential. Those are the people I reserve the term sheeple for. The mindless masses who as a whole hold back the human race. Whether they are this way due to upbringing, lack of education, genetics, or something else I don't know. All I know is they are and have slowed the progress of the human race for centuries. Who knows were we would be now if there hadn't been a series of dark ages interspersed with lamentingly short periods of enlightenment? Sadly, I see us now on the cusp of another dark age. The reasons are many but too off-topic for this thread. I hope I'm wrong.

Regarding your coworker, I suspect what may have got him to the apparently indifferent state he was in may have been the same factors driving me in the same direction. When you see society only cares about trivia you just feel more and more out of the loop. Myriad problems face the world today yet 90% of the popular newscasts are about irrelevant celebrity gossip. I don't care if it sells or not but the media have a responsibility to give us all the news, whether or not it's comforting, whether or not it's sensational, and whether or not it's something we want to hear. I think the best barometer of a society is the state of its news media. By all accounts then this one is in its death throes.