As you read this, look around. Are you still in bed? Are there piles of clothes and takeout food boxes strewn across the floor? Do you have chip crumbs on your sheets? Have you broken your self-care routine more times than you can count? Do you not even care? If so, you might already be in “goblin mode” – chosen by the public as the 2022 Oxford word of the year.
According to Oxford University Press (OUP), publishers behind the Oxford English Dictionary, the slang term refers to a type of behavior which is “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations” – traits that may have become familiar to many during lockdown.
Social media can portray idealized versions of self-improvement, from waking at 5 a.m. and drinking a green smoothie, to keeping a journal, exercising and planning your weekly meal prep.
That era may be on the way out. In its place is goblin mode – the opposite of trying to better yourself.
I – Word Understanding
Strewn – untidily scattered
Unapologetic – not sorry for doing something wrong
Slovenly – messy
II – Have Your Say
1, Have you had moments of going goblin mode? Why and how did recover from it
2, Theories on the rise of goblin mode:
a, It captures the prevailing mood of individuals who reject the idea of returning to “ normal life”.
What do you consider a normal life now?
b, It is a form of rebellion against the increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyle exhibited on social media. What do you think of the high standards being set on social media?
927 ‘Goblin mode’ chosen as Oxford word of the year for 2022
