Let it out

Let it out

Embrace your 'goblin mode' in 2023. The pandemic irrevocably changed the world and it is okay to show it.

A whopping 93 per cent voted for “goblin mode”, which was named Oxford’s 2022 word of the year, above “metaverse” and “#IStandWith”. This is evidence, perhaps, of a collective exhaustion. Goblin mode refers to “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”. In the post-pandemic zeitgeist, it would seem, people only want to lounge around in pyjamas and stuff their faces with heaps of chips, mathri and namkeen. More seriously, the sudden ubiquity of the phrase could well be a consequence of the stress of a pandemic, when for the first time, people were left to their own devices, with little external validation or control.

In myth and fantasy, goblins are meant to be evil and ugly creatures who are constantly tricking and attacking human beings. Work-from-home schedules consisted of slouching and napping during work hours. Making excuses about electricity issues and collapsed wi-fis became part of the new goblin’s bag of tricks. A small minority cultivated hobbies such as cooking, gardening and craft work, while some others were blessed with the motivation to pursue healthy living and follow exercise routines. The majority, however, silently hid in the comfort of their grottoes, judging the doers.

The pandemic irrevocably changed the relationship with work, making it more accessible in the privacy of homes and bridging the gap between professional and non-professional modes. When working from home, it does not matter how professional you may be — you will be sitting in online video-on meetings wearing a formal shirt on top and shorts or sweatpants at the bottom. And so, if there is any take-away from the crowning of goblin mode as the word of the year, it is that this year, for a healthier and happier life, people should embrace goblin modes wholeheartedly when they can, and release frustration however they may please.