What people think Goblin mode is VS. What Goblin mode really means

Goblin mode, misconceptions and more

So, where is the word ‘Goblin mode’ derived from? And why is this term ’Goblin mode’?

The Origin of the term ‘Goblin mode’:

The popularity of goblin mode may be linked to a rejection of the perceived carefully curated lifestyles often presented by social media users. The trend has also been linked to a manner of coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society because it is described as a way of life that permits people to reject social norms and embrace their basic instincts.

Misconceptions about ‘Goblin mode’:

The Goblin mode doesn’t necessarily mean going unshowered for days, never getting out of bed, not changing clothes, eating junk, binge-watching, and doom-scrolling or other things we have done in the pandemic. Most people would say that this is their normal state of being or they have this “a devil may care” attitude. But this behavior doesn’t go with the goblins of folklore. Goblin mode is a reaction to stressful times similar to the ones we have faced in the early pandemic.

Meaning of ‘Goblin’

The term ‘goblin’ is a general name for evil and malicious spirits, in folklore it is a mischievous ugly creature resembling a dwarf. The word goblin evolved to refer to a subterranean species similar to people who used to languish indoors during lockdown.

What it really means:

So, some people are thinking that ‘gobliness’ is being unshaven and sounds like cave-dwelling but it's more about ‘bringing out your inner child’ and being ‘antisocial’ in terms of violating the norms of society.

That can be being unshaven, going unshowered for days or behaving oddly and breaking the rules.

So, people’s definition of “goblin mode” may vary a little. For some people it may be about being dirty and subterranean but for some it may be about being lazy and self-indulgent in a way they can discard social norms or expectations and embrace their inner goblin.

So, this was the ‘goblin’ part of the slang we were discussing and now comes the ‘mode’ part.

More about Goblin mode:

As the word ‘mode’ suggests, it is something that can be turned off and on and it can be changed or switched as if a period changes or varies and related to the change in a situation.

If we say, we are in goblin mode then ‘mode’ here implies that it’s a period which can vary for each individual depending upon their situation or state of being.

People can often go to goblin mode, but this term doesn’t apply to those who take a more playful and mischievous approach to life.

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