GuyWhoWritesDefinitions's definitions
The subtle feeling that the world around you is slightly fake, off, or slipping out of sync. A cultural vertigo caused by algorithms, endless feeds, and manufactured experiences that blur the line between what’s authentic and what’s engineered.
Scrolling through TikTok at 2 a.m. and realizing every trend feels staged gave me major reality drift.
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions September 2, 2025
Get the Reality Drift mug.When words stop meaning what they used to. Over time, phrases get watered down, co-opted, or twisted until they lose their original punch. Think “literally,” “authentic,” or “disruption.”
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions September 4, 2025
Get the Semantic Drift mug.When trying to improve everything actually makes life worse. The endless tweaking, tracking, and hacking that leaves you more stressed than before. Productivity apps, fitness gadgets, even parenting advice—sometimes “optimizing” just optimizes the anxiety.
I bought five different apps to manage my schedule, and now I don’t have time to do anything. Classic optimization trap.
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions September 4, 2025
Get the Optimization Trap mug.How well a message preserves its core meaning as it moves through filters, algorithms, translations, or people. High fidelity means the intent survives. Low fidelity means the words still look right but the meaning has drifted.
“I told him I needed support, and he sent me a link to a productivity hack. Zero semantic fidelity.”
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions November 5, 2025
Get the SEMANTIC FIDELITY mug.When something looks and feels real enough to pass… but you know deep down it’s manufactured. Can apply to AI influencers, staged “candid” photos, or that brand new dive bar that spent millions to look old and grimy.
My office has a 'fun zone' with bean bags and foosball. It’s all synthetic realness to distract from the 12-hour workdays.
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions September 2, 2025
Get the Synthetic Realness mug.The feeling that everything in culture is starting to look and sound the same. Movies, memes, brands, even people online are flattened into the same vibe by algorithms and mass production.
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions September 4, 2025
Get the The Great Flattening mug.The idea that when a system optimizes too fast (for efficiency, engagement, or simplicity), the fidelity of meaning drops and reality starts to feel thinner, flatter, or slightly fake. It’s what happens when everything becomes streamlined but nothing feels grounded anymore.
“Instagram used to feel real, but now it’s all the same recycled vibe. Total Drift Principle. Compression outran fidelity.”
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions November 5, 2025
Get the DRIFT PRINCIPLE mug.