The human race has gone through a number of ages: the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason. 

We are now in the Age of Introspective Contrition, AKA wokeness.  The Age of Introspective Contrition is a leftist initiative that exploits guilt to establish thought processes and cultural mores that serve to solidify its political position, which is to pander to the disadvantaged for political gain.

It was ushered in with political correctness, which requires one to be introspectively contrite before framing casual speech content that might be misinterpreted or perceived as hurtful.  One who ignores the dictates of P.C. runs the risk of issuing microaggressions, forcing the offended recipient to seek shelter in a safe space to find solace in snacks, emotional support, and if necessary anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication.  Such hurtful behavior cannot be tolerated!

Having established P.C. as a foothold, it moved on to cancel culture, which advances speech control from "you shouldn't say that" to "you can't say that."  Any speech now remotely undermining the Party narrative is disinformation, hate speech, racist, bigoted, stochastic terrorism, or a threat to democracy.  Just shut up, go to your room, and self-flagellate in contrition.  Maybe even lose your job.  Repeat offenders might soon be subject to fines or incarceration.  Woe unto him who speaks freely!  Elon Musk threatens to replace Donald Trump as public enemy No. 1.

Being American in itself is cause for introspective contrition.  America was built on slavery.  Its society is structurally racist, based in white supremacy.  Whites need to overcome subconscious bias.  America is primarily responsible for global warming and owes the planet reparations.  Bow your head!  We must repent and rebuild a society based in diversity, inclusion, and equity!

Underachievement by oppressed groups is a product of white supremacy and, lacking adequate contrition by that group, diversification of achievement must be attained through equity hiring and advancement policy.  If you don't comply with our tenets, we'll have to step in and implement them!

Sex assignment at birth based on physical characteristics introduces an implicit bias regarding future behavioral expectations, resulting in predictable psychic trauma in the developing child with gender dysphoria — a mounting problem, especially when dysphoria is encouraged and amplified by leftist activists from its former 0.01% to its present 5% prevalence.  Contrition demands that we offer hormonal or surgical "therapies" to show our support for these emotionally conflicted youngsters who are victims of a hetero male social structure that precludes gender diversity and inclusion.  (Why not take measures to help them accept their physical sex instead? you might ask.)

The ultimate success of the Age of Introspective Contrition will depend upon the willingness of the populace to absorb and accept the degree of introspection and contrition it demands.  It will eventually collapse under the weight of its imposed guilt burden.

Image: Tom Hilton via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.