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Take a drink of the Kool-Aid
Take a drink of the Kool-Aid is a phrase used sometimes in Bloomington as a metaphor for trying something new that causes a paradigm shift in thought. Although the origin of the more commanding phrase Drink the Kool-Aid usually has a negative connotation and is associated with unquestioning belief of the People's Temple and the Jonestown Massacre, (To) Take a drink of the Kool-Aid usually has a positive or forward looking meaning when used around Bloomington. It is usually said as an invitation or by someone themselves to indicate to others that they have gained an understanding for why things are done a certain way. It has been said several times in Information Technology circles at Indiana University and connected networks of people, where it means to understand the purpose of why a group is doing something, with a positive connotation. This is somewhat ironic since Jim Jones attended IU.
Examples
These are not direct quotes, but are an example of where someone would use this phrase.
- I used to use plain text files, then I took a drink of the Kool-Aid and found that a wiki worked much better for my documentation needs.
- The orientation day will give you a chance to know us better and take a drink of the Kool-Aid so you understand why things are they way they are here.
