Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism

This is a humorous essay.

It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors and is made to be humorous. This page is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. This essay isn't meant to be taken seriously.

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This page in a nutshell: Don't-give-a-fuckism is the idea that attachment to things (articles, policies, AfDs, etc.) which are essentially beyond your control is a stumbling block to being a good Wikipedian.

Don't-give-a-fuckism ("DGAFism") is an ism concerned mainly with not giving a fuck. This is not a joke; it's as serious an endeavor as anything else.

The motto draws on two of the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha: Suffering (conflict and stress) is caused by attachment (giving a fuck) and can be relieved by detachment (not giving a fuck).

An example is at User:Antandrus/observations on Wikipedia behavior, Observation #60:

It is easier to get a sincere 'thank you' for reverting 'you're a faggot' from someone's userpage, than it is for writing a researched, thorough, and referenced encyclopedia article on an encyclopedic topic. The best way to continue as a writing Wikipedian for many years is to be, as the Buddha recommends, 'indifferent to both praise and blame.' Indifference to praise is a hard task for mere humans, but millions of potential anonymous readers demand it of you, for if you require praise you will burn out…

Not giving a fuck improves your quality of life significantly by drastically reducing your capabilities of giving a fuck.
— Jon Lajoie

Variations

"Don't give a fuck" originated from England, originally used as "Don't care a rap for". A rap was a half-penny, or a very low denomination. "Don't care a ___ for" means that you wouldn't sacrifice even this very small thing for whatever it is you are talking about. Variations of the phrase include "Don't give a rat's ass" or "Couldn't care less". A common Irish variant "Ah sure, it'll be grand" literally rejects the possibility that something bad will happen. This is a good example of not giving a fuck being far more than a reductive approach to stress. The origins of this phrase are shrouded in mystery, presumably because no one could be arsed to write it all down—and even if they did, sure, who'd give a fuck?

Indirect variations include DILLIGAF ("Do I look like I give a fuck?"), "You could cry me a river", "Blow it out your butt", "Tell somebody who cares", or "My heart is bleeding", basically meaning that any damaging of the subject's credibility is accepted. Another option is the phrase "I think you're mistaking me for somebody sitting under the I Care Sign". This phrase is difficult to work into ordinary conversation, but enormously satisfying when you can. Many DGAFers are skilled players of the world's smallest violin.

One can even extend the wording by suggesting that you would rather do anything else but care, such as I will spend the time that I would have spent on this doing something more useful and entertaining, like maybe gouging my eyes out with forks. This is the ultimate in don't-give-a-fuckism.

Wikipedia and not giving a fuck

An example of Wikipedians not giving a fuck

Contributors who couldn't care less help both Wikipedia and themselves in many ways:

By not caring, they are far less likely to act on strong emotions and do something mindlessly stupid.
This detachment means they are not slaves to strong opinions they previously formed.
This freedom from pre-formed ideas means it is easier for them to see what is actually happening in front of them.
Detachment from strong opinions leads to neutrality, and neutrality is important on Wikipedia.
Not caring about an edit after you have saved it means if anyone reverts it, your disinclination to give a fuck will avoid the possibility of starting an edit war.
Not caring reduces fear and inhibition, and lends itself to ignoring all rules and being bold.
Come on ... really. This is not a big deal!

Bad ways to not give a fuck

Using DGAF as rationalization for a dickish action is an abuse of the live-and-let-live ethos of don't-give-a-fuckism. Behaving like an angry mastodon, maybe stemming from excessively possessive feelings toward an article you have created or edited, is symptomatic of caring too much. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Consider moving on. Better yet, count down from 10—after promising yourself that from the moment you reach zero you will move on.

DGAFism is not to be confused with nihilism. You have to really care to commit deeply to a negative view of life. Likewise, being deliberately sloppy in your editing and sourcing is an abuse of Wikipedia, and has nothing to do with true DGAFism.

Expressing your don't-give-a-fuckism

A true DGAFer is likely to not GAF about promoting their position much, but if you would like to support this essay, you can use one of these userboxes:

Code

Result

DGAF

This user does not give a fuck.

DGAF

This user can't be arsed, and hopes some day you will join them.

DGAF