Internet Slang and Memes

What Did the Word 'Wakarimi' Make Easier to Understand?

About this topic

'Wakarimi' is a slang term that spread on the Japanese internet, particularly on Twitter and 5ch, from the late 2010s. It is a coined word combining 'wakaru' (I understand) + 'mi' (a suffix for nuance), expressing empathy or understanding—'I understand your feelings' or 'I feel the same way'—in a short, approachable way. This question asks what became 'easier to understand' through the birth of the word 'wakarimi', examining the meaning of naming subtle emotions that are hard to verbalize and the nature of empathy in internet space. It explores the process by which words 'visualize' emotions.

Conceptual positions

01 Emotion Efficiency Theory

'Wakarimi' was born as a tool to express subtle empathy that is hard to convey in text alone, in a short and efficient way. It sees it as inevitably born from the necessity to supplement the 'emotional subtleties' that tend to be lost in text-centered communication with concise words.

02 Verbalization of Empathy Theory

Through the birth of the word 'wakarimi', the complex emotion 'I understand your feelings' was given a name, making it easier to convey to the other person. By verbalizing it, vague empathy becomes a clear message, with the effect of deepening relationships.

03 Strategy of Lightness Theory

'Wakarimi' functions as a strategy to convey heavy emotions lightly, allowing one to show empathy while reducing the other person's burden. By handling topics that tend to become serious 'lightly', it lowers the hurdle of communication and promotes frank emotional exchange.

04 Community Formation Theory

By using 'wakarimi', people who share the same emotions connect as 'people who understand each other', forming a community. The word becomes a common symbol that eases loneliness in anonymous space and expands the circle of empathy.

Talk entry points

When you first saw the word 'wakarimi', what impression did you get?
When you think 'wakarimi' about someone's feelings, how do you put it into words?
What kind of complex emotions do you feel are conveyed by the short word 'wakarimi'?
If 'wakarimi' didn't exist, how would you have expressed empathy?
Do you think using 'wakarimi' reduces the other person's burden? Or do you think some people feel it is being treated lightly?
What social needs do you think were behind the spread of 'wakarimi' on the net?

Conceptual tensions

Lightness vsDepth

'Wakarimi' is a light and short word, but behind it often lies genuine empathy or deep understanding. The balance of handling deep emotions with light expressions is questioned.

Verbalization vsExperience

Verbalizing empathy with the word 'wakarimi' makes it easier to convey to the other person, but the 'atmosphere' and 'pause' that can be conveyed without words are also important. Both the benefits of verbalization and the value of what cannot be put into words are questioned.

Empathy vsConformity

Using 'wakarimi' seems like empathizing with the other person, but there is also the risk that it becomes peer pressure to 'feel the same way'. The question is how to view both the freedom of empathy and the power that words possess.

Individual vsCollective

'Wakarimi' is a word that expresses individual emotions, but when many people use the same word, a collective connection of 'people who understand each other' is born. The relationship between the individual's inner self and the shared sense of community is questioned.

Power of Words vsLimits of Words

The word 'wakarimi' has the power to name emotions that are hard to verbalize, but at the same time, there are also 'true feelings that cannot be put into words'. The question is how to handle both the possibilities and limits of words.

Talk note

This topic is not about dismissing internet slang as just a trend, but about exploring together the state of modern empathy expression and the background in which words are born. Let's make it a time to quietly feel the depth behind light words.

Glossary

Wakarimi: Internet slang expressing empathy 'I understand your feelings' in a short form. A coined word adding 'mi' to 'wakaru' (understand) to give a light, approachable nuance. Primarily used to show emotional empathy.
Verbalization of Emotions: Expressing internal emotions in words. In digital text, where non-verbal cues are lost, short words like 'wakarimi' play a role in efficiently conveying subtle emotions.
Shared Empathy: The act of understanding the other person's emotions and conveying that you feel the same way. In internet space, words like 'wakarimi' become tools that ease loneliness and create connection.
Expression of Lightness: Conveying heavy emotions or serious topics with light, low-burden words. 'Wakarimi' has the effect of reducing the mental burden on the other person by expressing genuine empathy 'lightly'.
Power of Coined Words: Creating new words by combining existing words or changing suffixes. Coined words like 'wakarimi' that are short, easy to remember, and accurately capture the nuance of emotions spread rapidly on the net.
Internet Empathy Culture: The culture of sharing emotions through words and emojis on the internet. 'Wakarimi' is a symbolic example of this culture, representing delicate connections born in anonymity.

Talk prompts

Ice breaker

Have you seen or used the word 'wakarimi' recently? In what kind of situation?

Deep dive

If 'wakarimi' didn't exist, how do you think you would have put your empathy into words? Or would you not have put it into words at all?

Bridge

When the other person says 'wakarimi', try to imagine what emotions are hidden behind that word.

Further questions

When you stop using 'wakarimi', how does your expression of empathy change?
Are there slangs in other cultural spheres that express emotions similar to 'wakarimi'?
Will the day come when 'wakarimi' is listed in official dictionaries?
Can AI understand the nuances of the word 'wakarimi'?
What would happen if words like 'wakarimi' started being used in real-life conversations?
What is the psychological effect of expressing empathy 'shortly'?