Who's "sheeple"?

[d.g.g]

This term is knocked about in the forum and I don't understand it. How'd it come about and what's it supposed to mean. Maybe I live in the wrong part of the country but I've never heard it spoken here in S. Fla.

[The General]

A somewhat insulting term for a non knife person. About on a par for saying a person is an idiot for not liking knives or having a lack of understanding of knives. Its this kind of "insider" attitude that frightens non knife people.

[Axlis]

Sheepish people who are afraid of pocket knives, possibly guns, thats my guess.I'd never heard of it until I joined this forum, but it seems like a justified term. Some people just can't handle knives, especially when used in public, it just makes them uncomfortable. "Sheeple".

or.....

It could refer to the public at large that seems to just go with the flow and let themselves be "herded" in the "right" direction by different influences including, but not limited to, the media and certain legislation.....hmmmm.....

[spyderknut]

Lambs in line for slaughter, accepting all that they are fed. Timid creatures. This term has been supplanted somewhat with "NKP" or non-knife people.

[Piet.S]

It stands for sheep people, when they see a knife, they go, baahd,baaahd. But honestly I think it's better to use the term NKP, non knife people, its less degrading. No need to put someone down for not understanding my fun and joy.

[butch]

i dont use sheeple for just knives nor do i mean it to be realy a bad term :rolleyes: on secend thought i also have been known to call people tree huggers and i have more respect for them least they are going for a goal
sheeple just kind of walk with the herd bland folks i tell you not tring things just sorta around and most are not open to anything other then mainstream
butch

[Gerard Breuker]

Sheeple are those people that let themselves get sheared by anyone who feels like it.
They make sounds like:
I would never be able to defend myself. Baah
It is better to just give them what they want. Beeh
and of course everyone's favorite
What do you need that knife for? Baah
They are fond of delusions of safety and quite willing to believe that criminals will abide by the law and that the police will always protect them.
NKP are not necessarily sheeple but sheeple are definitely NKP.
It is a degrading term and not to be used around real sheep as they might find it offensive.

[redhawk44p]

"Sheeple" are people who are unnerved by the sight of a knife. They assume without any reason or justification that you carry the knife with evil intentions. To them a knife is not a simple tool it is a symbol of murder and mayhem.

[JDEE]

"Sheeple" does not only refer to those who are "anti-knife" I have seen it used and use it myself to that group of people who rarely think for themselves or follow the mob (esp., media and media commentators) like sheep do. To me it is a derogatory term to those people who will jump on a popular bandwagon without investigating the matters at hand and coming to their own decision. IMO such people are normally apathetic and have their decisions made for them by the media.

[pmel018]

"Sheeple" does not only refer to those who are "anti-knife" I have seen it used and use it myself to that group of people who rarely think for themselves or follow the mob (esp., media and media commentators) like sheep do. To me it is a derogatory term to those people who will jump on a popular bandwagon without investigating the matters at hand and coming to their own decision. IMO such people are normally apathetic and have their decisions made for them by the media.

Amen to that JDEE
Phil

[Texas guy]

"Sheeple" does not only refer to those who are "anti-knife" I have seen it used and use it myself to that group of people who rarely think for themselves or follow the mob (esp., media and media commentators) like sheep do. To me it is a derogatory term to those people who will jump on a popular bandwagon without investigating the matters at hand and coming to their own decision. IMO such people are normally apathetic and have their decisions made for them by the media.

This is the definition that comes to my mind, except I think sheeple more in the sense of not questioning the govnment and are blindly faithful in the govnment and media to lead their lives. The kind of people who vote away their rights, and actually trust the police to protect them, and favor gun control, people who just don't think for themselves. I heard this term used to describe the masses long before I came to the knife forum.
It's a combinatin of sheep who simply follow the herd, and people = sheeple

[Intruderdriver]

A wise man once told me that there are two classes of mammals in the world: Meat Eaters and Grass Eaters. The grass-eaters walk around with their heads down all day grazing, unaware of predators and their surroundings, frightened and unable to defend themselves. The meat-eaters carry their heads high, alert, aware of their environment, and always able and willing to protect themselves and their families. He told me to always be a meat-eater, and the analogy has served me well throughout my life.

Sheeple are the grass eaters.

It's necessarily about knives, guns, politics, or whatever--it's a way of going through life.

My opinion, FWIW.

[LJK]

I was gonna take a whack at defining "sheeple" but could not possibly improve on Gerard Breuker's post. Right on Dude. :spyder:

[EarthDog]

Sheeple - someone who cries out, "He's got a knife!" when you use a Cricket to open a package. :rolleyes:

[ghostrider]

Axlis had a good explanation, and Texas guy followed it up nicely (which also means JDEE’s post applies). Sheeple aren’t just limited to NKP. Sheeple can also be knife lovers. Gerard Breuker posted some good depictions of what a sheeple might say. I wouldn’t call NKP sheeple (at least those frightened by such things); they’re more just plain sheep. Sheeple are also the sort who would support the enforcement of certain laws infringing upon the right of fellow citizens just because “it’s the law”. The truth is that sheeple are often times thinking, way way in the back of their mind “hopefully it won’t be me if I go along to get along”. They also throw out phrases like “total freedom would be anarchy!”

I did a search of the term and found a good article by Walter Williams, and also the following “food for thought”.


[INDENT]A Nation of Sheepleby Peter Finn


America is fast becoming a nation of sheeple.
I often ask the question: "At what point would you set put to kill an officer of the law or a government soldier?"
99% of people I've posed the question to, on first blush, answer 'Never'.
Then I drill down to the heart of the matter...
What if the police are at your home to arrest your daughter for speaking out against a politician and now they'll take her to a prison where she will certainly be raped and murdered?
What if the soldiers are rounding up certain of your neighbors to gas them?
What would you do?
Obey the lawful orders and, hopefully, be left alone?
Or fight no matter what the consequences to yourself?
Even with these considerations I hear meaningless blather like:
"I'd call the police!"
"It'd never happen!"
"Violence only causes more violence!"
And etc.
The ironic thing about this is that the fewer people we have who will not flinch about plugging a cop or a soldier who violates their rights the more likely it becomes that we will have cops and soldiers violate our rights!!
The People are responsible for being the Fourth 'check and balance' upon the power of government. If we fail to restrain our political leaders by threat of mortal accountability then we are assured of political leaders who will act with impunity against us.
It is the mere threat that maintains the balance that has stabilized our Republic since the civil war. Absent that threat there is no limit to what can be done "legally".
The Holocaust was perfectly "legal."
http://freedomkeys.com/sheeple.htm[/INDENT]

That brings up another common sheeple phrase. "It can't happen here (we have the constitution)".

[JD Spydo]

To me the term "Sheeple" refers to someone who strictly operates on the herd mentality. It refers to someone who lacks courage, conviction, and the ability to stand up for the right principles. Like Ghostrider was saying it refers to someone who rides through life with that "Go Along To Get Along" mentality. Even if it goes as far as making a corrupt goverment out to be a god . Sheeple will value their IRAs and 401ks over that of living in a free country and would never be bold enough to make a stand for a fellow man/woman who is in the right and like Ghostrider said they will just continue to hope that>> "It won't be me hopefully".

Axlis makes a good point to when he made mention of the fact that they are easily brainwashed by this "Monkey See, Monkey Do" mainstream news media. They for the most part would even side with the government ( corrupt that is) against their own family, friends, kin folk. Sheeple would be the kind of people that if the government legalized Slavery again they would put their seal of approval on it because after all >> The Government ( no matter how corrupt and debased) is their god. The really bad thing about it now a days is that they are high in numbers .

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear J.D.:

The really bad thing about it now a days is that they are high in numbers .

How true; I even see it in my siblings, which I had hoped would never happen. They have been all but brainwashed by the media to the extent that they sometimes appear to have no free will at all.

Very sad...

--------
Hannibal

[Piet.S]

Well said Ghostrider, your signature says it all, doesn't it.

[ghostrider]

Well said Ghostrider, your signature says it all, doesn't it.

Helps keep me in line. :)