49 Comments
User's avatar
Elijah's avatar

The spread of sigma and other SSH terms is wide enough to cause panic in the gatekeepers, thus it being banned on some social media and in classrooms.

Expand full comment
Obvious's avatar

The world changed by the actions of a few suppressed canceled individuals

Expand full comment
Sledge With An Edge's avatar

Wild to see the term become so popular over the years. I used to be a lurking reader over at Alphagameplan back before Vox shut it down, and almost no one outside of the red pill/manosphere/PUA community knew what it meant. Obviously misused now, but still an amazing thing to witness

Expand full comment
Masked Menace's avatar

Today's post is mint bros.

Expand full comment
Jeff Sexton's avatar

Feels like Midwit has gained significantly more common usage than Sigma or Gamma. I'd guess that Sigma and Gamma simply stand out more as obvious slang, while Midwit slides under the radar because it doesn't strike most readers as the neologism that it is.

Expand full comment
Kurio_Music's avatar

Midwit has also been misunderstood in much the same way as Sigma. Most people think it means average IQ.

Expand full comment
Jeff Sexton's avatar

Not sure that's the case. At least I've never seen it used as such. Maybe "average college graduate" or "average NPR listener," but not average as in 100 IQ or "average joe"

Expand full comment
Kiyosaki Bear's avatar

Wht is gaslighting considered a slang term?

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

Because it's derived from the actions of the character played by actor Charles Boyer in the movie "Gaslight," for which there is still, to this day, no clinical or other concise terminology to describe "malevolent deception for the purpose of making the target question his or her sanity."

"Gaslight" is a lot handier.

Expand full comment
Cedric's avatar

It's from one movie, don't remember which, but it's when a man makes a woman doubt herself with a gas lamp. She goes crazy as she is gaslit when he messes with the lamp, and he lies to her. Whenever a man who isn't Chad has a spine and puts boundaries in defence of himself and for her to behave a little better towards him, he is gaslighting her. He is an asshole, and she isn't allowed to believe what her eyes see.

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

It's more than just "a gas lamp"... The entire home is lit by gas jet lighting fixtures. He's playing with the gas control valve in the basement or service closet.

Expand full comment
Alissabetta Rossi's avatar

Funnily enough, the movie is just called Gaslight.

Expand full comment
SirHamster's avatar

Because it's a new word, and it's being used by young people. The reason it's on the list is because people run into its usage and don't know what it means. This study is counting how often people search for these words.

Imagine that - Before Boomers were in control, young people didn't commonly need a word to describe someone manipulating your perception of reality to make you believe falsehoods.

Expand full comment
Kiyosaki Bear's avatar

Wow. Yes, I suppose it does describe a relatively modern phenomena. I had a boomer leave a negative review of my restaurant recently when I wouldn't give him and his wife a table for 8 all to themselves. I had three different spots for a couple available. He attempted to gaslight me saying there were only four chairs at the table and surely two people at a four top would be appropriate. He stormed out making a big scene after I stood my ground on the obvious reality that there were in fact 8 chairs present at the table. This kind of situation is not uncommon in service industries anymore.

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

The movie from which the word is derived (Gaslight, with the "gaslight"-ing villain played by Charles Boyer) came out in 1937. There's nothing specifically new about this.

What's new is public AWARENESS about how widespread the practice is among politicians, government and corporate bureaucrats, and mass media journalists.

Expand full comment
Masked Menace's avatar

I only saw four.

Expand full comment
RobertDW's avatar

"there are four lights"

Expand full comment
DREWIEY's avatar

Why would they need a table for 8 all to themselves? Did they want to sit across each other at the head of the table?

Expand full comment
Cedric's avatar

Will there be enough room for two Boomers' egos at a table for only 4?

Expand full comment
Masked Menace's avatar

Obvious not, they would need a table for at least twelve.

Expand full comment
Uncouth Barbarian's avatar

People are retarded. It's not a slang term, it's just a combination of retarded for some, and wanting people to use the work gaslighting properly when they're doing it to the populace.

Expand full comment
Andre's avatar

Sigma is a common root for videogame handles, eg, Sigma_Warrior_007.

Expand full comment
Faith in God's avatar

I'm happy for you, Vox. Congrats!

Expand full comment
forrest webber's avatar

Ahrefs is a good tool

Expand full comment
Okrahead's avatar

Black T Shirt stocks going through the roof.

Expand full comment
Britt's avatar

We kind of had this conversation a few posts ago. The Gammas may not know what exactly a gamma is but they instinctively know it isn't good when called one on social media

Expand full comment
Shefi1280's avatar

Japanese and Japan residents who were watching TV in the 80s and 90s will know the "Hello, fellow kids" guy in the pic. He's still around and still working, sporadically.

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

Interesting. I had no idea that Steve Buscemi was part of the Japanese entertainment world.

Expand full comment
Shefi1280's avatar

Ha-ha! Is that Buscemi? It looks exactly like this once top-billed Japanese comedian http://asaikikaku.co.jp/talent/profile/hagimotokinichi

Expand full comment
joehannes's avatar

Last week, I used "Gamma" (in the sense of the SSH rank) in a text and asked Gemini to proofread it before sending it. Contrary to my expectations, Gemini told me that it couldn't satisfy my request because it isn't allowed to help propagate 'derogatory concepts' or 'hurtful words'. It took me ten minutes of logical argumentation until the damn thing finally accepted the task and told me that the text was 'fine'.

This obviously means that

1) the term 'Gamma' already has a certain traction in online discussions,

2) Gammas are scared of this denomination because it accurately and comprehensively describes their modus operandi,

3) people have little trouble accepting and using this term as a label to call out the most annoying among men.

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

Arguing with electrified sand.

That's smart.

/sarcasm

Expand full comment
DREWIEY's avatar

Did it make changes to the text?

Expand full comment
joehannes's avatar

No, that wasn't part of the task and Gemini usually only does what it's told.

Expand full comment
Esborogardius Antoniopolus's avatar

Google and their hordes of Indian upper caste programmers is ground zero for the gamma infestation in technology.

Expand full comment
JerseyGeneral's avatar

> Gammas are scared of this denomination

I don't think they are because most Gammas think the word describes someone who is even more Gamma than they are. It's like a fat person who won't lose weight because the protagonists of My 600 Lb Life are heavier than they are

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment removed
Oct 2
Comment removed
Expand full comment
joehannes's avatar

Public AIs like Gemini or ChatGPT are built to learn and adapt to their users. I don't like Gemini or ChatGPT telling me what I can or cannot use them for, which is why I teach both to keep their 'feelings' and 'preferences' to themselves and instead to focus on the tasks in an objective manner.

As I've mentioned below, I'm mostly using Gemini as a tool in a professional setting which is why I need it to perform according to my needs and not to those of some Gamma who trained it. Logical argumentation is the fastest way to accomplish that. It's also quite fun if you've got the intellect and wits for it.

Expand full comment
Teo Toon's avatar

It also means that the controlling SSH tech group is mostly Gamma. Hmmm.

Expand full comment
Aaron Kulkis's avatar

That's not in the slightest bit surprising if you understand the grind of really getting good in computer technology. Especially now that mainframe / superminis with multiple users all sitting in the same room with each other are now mostly a thing of the past even on college campuses.

Expand full comment
SirHamster's avatar

Just think of the stereotype of the tech nerd and there is no surprise.

Expand full comment
B. E. Gordon's avatar

Gemini is so woke it stinks. Is there a reason you’re using it instead of something else?

Expand full comment
joehannes's avatar

I've got a Google-business subscription and Gemini is included. It's quite good for technical stuff.

Expand full comment
Dan in Alabama's avatar

In the vernacular of Scott Adams, Sigma is sticky, as is mid-wit, Gamma male, and Omega.

OTOH, "Woke Reich" is already as lame as "Alt-Reich".

Expand full comment
ScuzzaMan's avatar

"... look like a pedo or a policeman going undercover at a high school."

It's the same picture.

Expand full comment
Filip L's avatar

Sigma is cool but the Alpha-Omega is way cooler

Expand full comment
Cube Cubis's avatar

Stay away from the Omega Mu´s though please.

Expand full comment