A term used to describe a person who acts like an activist, but from a metaphorical armchair — i.e., from a mostly or totally inactive, theoretical position.
Inherent in the meaning of armchair revolutionary is the idea that the person knows that their ideas require them to be physically involved in political struggles, but that instead the person chooses to be intentionally ignorant or dismissive of real-world issues and problems, in an attempt to continue believing in the false reality their views create. In this way the armchair revolutionary is often regarded to see the world in at least a quasi-idealist manner, i.e., one relative solely to his or her own perceptions, rather than bothering with what s/he should really do — to absorb the physical and practical reality s/he would be compelled to see around him/her if s/he stopped the alleged "political posturing" and became an activist in actual political causes
Inherent in the meaning of armchair revolutionary is the idea that the person knows that their ideas require them to be physically involved in political struggles, but that instead the person chooses to be intentionally ignorant or dismissive of real-world issues and problems, in an attempt to continue believing in the false reality their views create. In this way the armchair revolutionary is often regarded to see the world in at least a quasi-idealist manner, i.e., one relative solely to his or her own perceptions, rather than bothering with what s/he should really do — to absorb the physical and practical reality s/he would be compelled to see around him/her if s/he stopped the alleged "political posturing" and became an activist in actual political causes
Jessica: The soup kitchen in our town closed down but we don't care! KONY 2012 WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!
Andy: Posting Kony statuses still? You're such an armchair activist.
Andy: Posting Kony statuses still? You're such an armchair activist.
by comealongpond2050 June 21, 2012
Get the Armchair Activist mug.A person who spends all day passionately watching Let's Plays on Youtube, but never actually plays video games.
Person 1: Man, the new GTA is so awesome
Person 2: What console do you have it on?
Person 1: What? Oh, I just watch gameplay videos of it.
Person 2: You're such an armchair gamer...
Person 2: What console do you have it on?
Person 1: What? Oh, I just watch gameplay videos of it.
Person 2: You're such an armchair gamer...
by AnnaNikole July 21, 2014
Get the armchair gamer mug.Related Words
someone who has never served in the military, but who rah-rahs a war when it is broadcast on TV from his armchair while swilling beer. He thinks it is all a game to watch and he buys items (like T-shirts) that celebrate the war and are sold by oily corporate yuppies who want to make a few bucks off a national wave of "patriotism". Armchair warriors call that "supporting the troops" but do not think at all about the dangers inherant in war and do not want to lift a finger to help returning veterans get rehabilitation or treatment for their disabilities. They just want to see the modern day TV gladiators "kick some ass" for their amusement. They are SMFs.
Senator Bonehead voted for the war. He never served in the Armed Forces, he claimed that all the "minorities" and "little people" were doing the job for him. Every night he goes home and watches the news to see how many enmy combatants are killed. He cheers the U.S. forces on for "kicking ass" while chugging down his beer. He is a prime example of an armchair warrior.
by I Saw U2 Live Twice November 6, 2008
Get the armchair warrior mug.Most commonly found on internet forums for first-person-shooter games set in modern times like Counter-Strike and Battlefield 2, the Armchair Infantry spends his day browsing gun sites (chiefly http://world.guns.ru) memorizing every factual statistic about every weapon known to man. In any instant, the Armchair Infantry can deliver to you every possible statistic about any of an obscure line of military-grade weapons that never even saw live combat.
Armchair Infantry are easy to identify. If they have an avatar, more often then not it is the logo of the United States Marine Corp. If they have a signature, it's almost always a Barrett sniper rifle, or a guy hiding in a bush with a rifle (that may or may not be a Barrett). Your typical Armchair Infantry will hide behind a veil of lies to 'reinforce' their point; the most common and effective being that they own several of the military weapons and are pure marksmen with them. Slightly rarer, but more effective, is the Armchair Veteran, who protects his ass with unearned respect by insisting that they've fought in ANY number of real-world conflicts: Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia, Grenada... If the debate is about the Vietnam war, you damn well know that these guys will crawl out of the woodwork, insisting that they served 4 tours in Vietnam. If it's about Kuwait, suddenly they tell you about Operation Desert Storm as if they were there firsthand.
When provoked, the Armchair Infantry will pull out a dazzling number of 'facts' that they've almost completely copy-pasted off another website. In a conversation about a military asset of some sort, they will be determined to convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they've fired/flown/driven whatever it is they're talking about. The goal being, of course, to convince you, someone who isn't hiding behind the Armchair Infantry persona, that they have much more experience then you (which they don't), and therefore are right, and you're an idiot.
In their FPS games of choice, these 'veterans' generally play as a sniper whenever they can, clinging to an emo-esque image of a lonewolf cold-blooded killer out for revenge, or some cliche bullshit like that.
The irony of the Armchair Infantry is that most have never even been around a real gun outside of Boyscout Camp. Even more aren't even old enough to enlist.
If you ever meet an Armchair Infantry, patronize and mock them. There's a slim chance that yes, they DID fly an A-10 in the Gulf War (because you know how many 40-year-old Veterans play FPS games to recreate a war they saw people die in), but there's a far greater chance that they're utterly full of shit.
Armchair Infantry are easy to identify. If they have an avatar, more often then not it is the logo of the United States Marine Corp. If they have a signature, it's almost always a Barrett sniper rifle, or a guy hiding in a bush with a rifle (that may or may not be a Barrett). Your typical Armchair Infantry will hide behind a veil of lies to 'reinforce' their point; the most common and effective being that they own several of the military weapons and are pure marksmen with them. Slightly rarer, but more effective, is the Armchair Veteran, who protects his ass with unearned respect by insisting that they've fought in ANY number of real-world conflicts: Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia, Grenada... If the debate is about the Vietnam war, you damn well know that these guys will crawl out of the woodwork, insisting that they served 4 tours in Vietnam. If it's about Kuwait, suddenly they tell you about Operation Desert Storm as if they were there firsthand.
When provoked, the Armchair Infantry will pull out a dazzling number of 'facts' that they've almost completely copy-pasted off another website. In a conversation about a military asset of some sort, they will be determined to convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they've fired/flown/driven whatever it is they're talking about. The goal being, of course, to convince you, someone who isn't hiding behind the Armchair Infantry persona, that they have much more experience then you (which they don't), and therefore are right, and you're an idiot.
In their FPS games of choice, these 'veterans' generally play as a sniper whenever they can, clinging to an emo-esque image of a lonewolf cold-blooded killer out for revenge, or some cliche bullshit like that.
The irony of the Armchair Infantry is that most have never even been around a real gun outside of Boyscout Camp. Even more aren't even old enough to enlist.
If you ever meet an Armchair Infantry, patronize and mock them. There's a slim chance that yes, they DID fly an A-10 in the Gulf War (because you know how many 40-year-old Veterans play FPS games to recreate a war they saw people die in), but there's a far greater chance that they're utterly full of shit.
Rather then the use of the term 'Armchair Infantry', here's an example of some in action:
"The accuracy and range of the rifle is way off. I have three and go to the range four times a week and I can put 20 bullets within a half inch of each other at 500 meters."
"I flew a Cobra in Kuwait and I can tell you that they do NOT fly like that."
"I risked my life for the United States and it's disrespectful that you guys got the turbine sound of the F/A 18 TOTALLY wrong."
"The accuracy and range of the rifle is way off. I have three and go to the range four times a week and I can put 20 bullets within a half inch of each other at 500 meters."
"I flew a Cobra in Kuwait and I can tell you that they do NOT fly like that."
"I risked my life for the United States and it's disrespectful that you guys got the turbine sound of the F/A 18 TOTALLY wrong."
by Dave T. S. July 20, 2008
Get the Armchair Infantry mug.Someone who has no professional training in science yet has the same augmented ego and clout (and on occasion, the same amount of knowledge on the subject).
Your subconscious is actually the excrement of an opalescent Monodon monoceros. I know. I'm an armchair scientist.
by Mesozoical November 22, 2011
Get the armchair scientist mug.Any dipshit that talks shit about a company with little or no knowledge of what they are saying. Armchair CEO's are normally stood up and/or owned Once someone gets tired of their endless shit.
Mark (Armchair CEO) - Mcdonalds is screwed, they are the worst thing in this universe besides hell itself. Trust me on this, i know
Sarah - And you base this crap on what? STFU n00b!
Sarah - And you base this crap on what? STFU n00b!
by Pacman12 August 18, 2007
Get the Armchair CEO mug.a person who speaks authoritatively but not convincingly on topics that they have no practical experience with, (especially applied to advocates of war)
by The Return of Light Joker September 21, 2010
Get the armchair general mug.