Being truly woke – whether physically, socially, or spiritually – often comes at the cost of big discomfort. With another contextualized story from my cultural observations, let’s explore why awakening often looks like a tempting alternative to woke, especially when we live on the upside of inequality because of our identities or circumstances. Let’s see why awakening, for all the comfort it promises, in fact leaves us bankrupt and self-defeated, and only woke enables us to do the meaningful work that needs to be done – both within ourselves, with other people – and thus effect lasting change in the world.