Let’s face it, we’ve all collectively decided that “whatever” is our default setting, and it’s about time we embraced it.
Let’s face it, we’ve all collectively decided that “whatever” is our default setting, and it’s about time we embraced it.
By Karen Winters
I remember a time, long ago, when Americans were full of passion—whether it was for political movements, sports teams, or even those heated debates over pineapple on pizza. But now, something has shifted. Today, as I stare into the hollow abyss of my neighbor’s indifferent wave and scroll through a social media feed of people halfheartedly liking posts they probably didn’t even read, I’ve come to realize: We’ve officially settled into our new national mood—“Meh.”
Yes, you read that right. The U.S. has quietly, yet collectively, embraced the “Meh” mindset, and honestly, I think it’s exactly what we need. It’s 2024, and between the pandemic that refuses to leave the party, the endless political circus, and the economy performing the world’s slowest car crash, we’ve all simply run out of energy to care. And I, for one, am totally on board with it.
Now, this didn’t happen overnight. No, “Meh” has been brewing in the American psyche for a while now. It started innocently enough: first, with the shrug emoji (which became my personal mantra somewhere around 2019), and then gradually, with more and more of us letting our ambitions dissolve into casual indifference. At some point, people just gave up on pretending to have strong opinions about things that, let’s face it, don’t really matter.
Take politics, for example. Once a battleground of fiery debates, passionate arguments, and increasingly insane conspiracy theories, the national mood has shifted from “We must take action!” to “Eh, what’s on Netflix?” I mean, who has the emotional bandwidth to care about tax reform when there’s a whole season of The Great British Bake Off to binge?
But “Meh” isn’t just about politics. It’s about life itself. The once-sparkling aspirations of the American Dream have dulled to a collective shrug. Why buy a house when the planet might be on fire in 20 years, and avocado toast tastes just as good in a rental? Why climb the corporate ladder when the view from mid-level is fine, and you get to clock out at 5?
Here’s the thing: “Meh” has been unfairly judged as lazy, cynical, or apathetic. But I’m here to argue that it’s none of those things—it’s actually the ultimate form of self-care. By embracing “Meh,” we’re allowing ourselves to let go of the burden of constant productivity, passion, and opinion-having. We’ve finally realized that not everything needs our undivided attention. And that’s liberating.
You see, “Meh” is a coping mechanism for modern life. In a world that demands we have an opinion on literally everything—from what we eat to where we shop to which fictional wizard house we’d be sorted into—it’s exhausting. And after years of caring so much, we’re collectively saying, “I can’t keep up. And I won’t.”
This is why “Meh” is such a necessary national mood. It’s a refusal to be emotionally hijacked by every new crisis, meme, or TikTok trend. It’s a silent protest against the overwhelming noise of the 24-hour news cycle. “Meh” says, “I see what’s happening, but I’m choosing peace, calm, and perhaps a nap.”
I know what you’re thinking: What about passion? Don’t we need passion to drive change and make the world better? Sure, passion is great in small doses. But in today’s world, it’s unsustainable to be passionate about everything. Instead, we can reserve our energy for what really matters—like making sure our favorite takeout place gets our order right. Let’s be real: if I have to pick between world peace and extra fries, well, it’s “Meh” to the world and a big “yes” to fries.
The beauty of “Meh” is that it gives us permission to choose our battles. We no longer have to be engaged in every single conversation about the future of humanity. We can pick a few things we sort of care about, like maybe saving the whales or supporting local bookstores, and leave the rest in the capable hands of people who aren’t emotionally exhausted.
Where does this leave us as a nation? Honestly, I’m not sure, and in the spirit of “Meh,” I’m not too worried about it. Maybe we’ll continue to float along, doing the bare minimum to keep things from falling apart. Maybe we’ll even experience a surge of motivation at some point. But for now, “Meh” seems to be working just fine.
If nothing else, “Meh” is a comforting shield against the constant stream of chaos, and in a world that keeps spinning faster, isn’t it nice to just not care for a minute?
So, next time someone asks for your hot take on the latest controversy, feel free to shrug, mutter “Meh,” and walk away. After all, it’s 2024. We’ve earned the right to sit back, relax, and let life keep happening, preferably without our direct involvement.
