Cope springs eternal

A few thoughts on the lifeblood of the internet: COPE.

Cope, in noun form, as in “this is cope,” is internet-native slang for “psychological defense through self-delusion.” It’s not that different from the verb form but has a darker valence. In this version, to cope is not the capacity to deal well with difficulty but an inability to handle a blunt truth, a pathetic need for mental palliatives. The act of c…