Elon Musk Tells Bill Maher Why 'Woke Mind Virus' Is Apocalyptic: 'You Can't Question Things'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday talked about free speech, censorship, and his “apocalyptic” views on the “woke mind virus” with Bill Maher.

What Happened: In an interview on HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher,’ the tech billionaire said, “I think we need to be very cautious about anything that is anti-meritocratic and anything that results in the suppression of free speech.“

“So those are two of the aspects of the ‘woke mind virus’ that I think are very dangerous…. you can’t question things; even if the questioning is bad. Almost synonymous would be cancel culture. And obviously, people have tried to cancel you many times.”

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In response to Maher’s question about what Musk thinks the root of the so-called “woke mind virus” is, the world’s second richest man pins the blame on alleged “indoctrination that’s happening in schools and universities.”

Musk argued that the educational experiences that modern-day kids are going through are vastly different from what he and others of his age experienced during their high school and college years, almost 10 to 20 years ago. He said most parents are uninformed about what their children are being taught or not taught in schools.

Why It Matters: Musk has recently been making headlines for his opinion on the “woke mind virus.” He defines it as a phenomenon where people adopt beliefs and attitudes without critical thinking simply because they align with popular culture or political correctness. According to him, this leads to a fear of expressing opinions because of being labeled as “non-woke,” which in turn deters honest and open discussion.

In December, the tech billionaire received massive flak on Twitter after he said, “the woke mind virus is either defeated or nothing else matters.” The microblogging platform users said Musk was unfairly promoting an anti-progressive agenda and undermining the fight against discrimination and inequality.

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