Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it so many times now, maybe it’s that I’ve never liked being told to calm down, or maybe it’s because it’s used so widely for commercial purposes, but for whatever reason, the KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON meme gets on my nerves. Apologies to those of you who love or use the meme; I’m not pointing fingers or trying to hate on anyone…It’s one of those trivial things that shouldn’t annoy me, but it does – so I’m ranting. It’s possibly the least creative meme phrase of all time, it’s not funny, it’s not thought-provoking…in short, I can’t understand WHY it’s popular. And, although calmness is a wonderful thing, the phrase “Keep calm and carry on,” outside of the WWII context from which the phrase originated, connotes a complacency that doesn’t sit well with me. You’re not saying, “Keep calm and solve problems,” or “Keep calm and think clearly,” or “Keep calm and do what you can.” Which is fine if it’s WWII and you’re just trying to bolster morale. But we’re in an unsustainable world system that’s got serious problems. We can’t sit back and carry on living in complacency while things break down. People need to be active, informed, and motivated to do more than shop and watch television. Just my humble opinion here, mind you.