The devil and the Devil
On a theme by Eric Hoffer
You have to understand that they see the devil everywhere. Blue hair is horns and trans rights battle jackets are bat wings. The smell of the city street is sulfur. They experience these things with real menace.
These things, of course, are not the Devil. They are the devil. The devil is what the adherents truly believe in. It’s the revelation that will lead them to war. They see it everywhere and they hate it.
The Devil makes sure that the devil is never far from their thoughts. In fact, it gave them a handy incantation to bring it to mind. A scrying mirror to hold up to see the devil more clearly if their vision starts to blur. This lens is doubly useful because it also serves as a shibboleth. By saying “woke” with the proper intonation, they can recognize one another and the devil at the same time.
Like all good glamours, the word itself is empty. Magic cast with meaningful words, such as prayers, is limited. It is shackled by the content of the words you are saying. To truly cast powerful illusions, you need to strip as much meaning out of the word as possible.
“Woke” for them is such a perfect empty vessel that it can contain anything. This makes it a near perfect illusion. They look through it at the world and the Devil reveals to them all manner of things to hate. It shows them a world ripe with disgust.
When asked, they cannot define “woke”. This is by design. To define “woke” would rob it of all of its power. They know it when the Devil provides them sight. This is why their view of the devil can change from one day to the next. From one hour to the next. A line of police stands in front of the Capitol steps and “woke” washes over them. They are subsumed into the devil.
If truly pressed, they might tell you something like “I know it when I see it”. This isn’t true, but it probably feels true to them. The nature of the trick allows them to make memories backwards. To see the newly “woke” element of the devil as having always been obviously so. They don’t know it when they see it; they see it when they know it.
Don’t bother asking them for definitions. Don’t bother asking them to point out the devil. Don’t bother telling them that the Devil is tricking them, you’ll sound like a hysteric.
And whatever you do, don’t ask them about God.