Politics is boring

Much like the majority of reality itself.

Unless it’s an area of interest that you would like to excel in, or a potential career path, I don’t think it’s worth much of a time or energy investment.

You can’t avoid it entirely, of course, and I don’t try to. I’m in group chats and such that discuss it. But obsessing over it is counterproductive. 

I am, technically, libertarian-right — I have taken the political compass test twice from two different sites and that’s the quadrant I got both times. Which means that both sides hate me by definition. However, I have been voting red as of late (and am registered in Utah accordingly) because I really hate the government’s (over)reaction to covid and because third parties have absolutely zero power so there’s no point in being part of one. My hatred of covid restrictions is the reason I really like DeSantis and Noem. If the covid restrictions had never happened, I probably never would’ve figured out what my own governor’s name was, let alone those of other states.

And to an extent, I do think that some degree of interest and participation is necessary in order to avoid falling into a dystopia. I vote, yes, but I only do the bulk of my research a few days before election day, and I try to do it by mail because standing in line to vote sucks and is again a major waste of time.

Other than opposing covid restrictions, though, and supporting LGBT and freedom of religion (don’t tell me I can’t go to church — I do whatever I want, however I want, whenever I want to do it), I don’t really care about any other issues. Oh sure, I’ll like a Facebook status where someone expresses their opinion on something and in the moment I find that I either a) agree or b) see their point, and in fact I do this fairly often, but that’s about it. Then I just keep scrolling to find more memes.

I did have a weird “I freaking love science” phase a few years back, and I have a sticker on my laptop that reflects that. But I was just being an edgelord, and removing sticker decals is hard.

The thing is, I just want a life where I can completely forget that politics even exists. I just want to be left alone in my own little world. I want to be creative, to make art and write stories, to learn as much as possible about science and computers and engineering and math, to build fantastical worlds in my mind, to explore theme parks and water parks, to get out and see nature, to get better or even elite at running and practice weight lifting, to think about love and romance, to watch cartoons and play video games. How could you even think to fit politics into all this?! Time I spend on boring political stuff is time I could be spending honing my creative or technical skills, or exercising. Or even just relaxing. Or exploring the more beautiful parts of the world, such as parks. I only have a problem when someone tries to take that world away from me (i.e. lockdowns). That’s when I get pissed off and vote straight red and pencil in a third party candidate for governor who is running on a campaign of no more covid restrictions. (And no, I don’t have a problem with the vaccines, I’m getting my first dose tomorrow, but I’d rather support someone who opposes all covid restrictions than someone who supports them all).

Otherwise, the cost benefit analysis just doesn’t check out. You can do a lot of things and balance a lot of things in this world. But even I will admit that you can’t do everything. And so, in this world you choose what you will triage. Me, I find politics to be dry and boring. So, I triage it. I like to remain childlike. I prefer fantasy to reality. I like my imagination better than this world. And politics are very much a part of this world — a dull place without magic.

This is why I generally just nod and smile whenever someone starts going on a rant about something political (again, unless it’s about covid stuff, which is the one and only thing I’ve developed a strong opinion on — but even then, a debate is almost always not worth the energy cost). I do not like debating, like at all. I’ve found through experience that if I just immediately agree with you, I will not fuel your desire to debate with me. And therefore I don’t have to engage and pretend to be passionate about something that I don’t have a strong opinion on. So I will either agree with you or say “I have no idea”. Really, I just want to live life normally, and will vote accordingly. That’s all I know. If you can guarantee that you will not try to control my life, then you have my vote.

Politics is a profession that disproportionately attracts sociopaths, as well. So while there are some wonderful local representatives here in Utah, and smaller groups that I support such as the Utah Business Revival, I tend not to trust too many people above that local level. I tend to assume they are sociopaths at worst, and stuffy at best. I guess I just think it’s funny when people think that some rich dude in a suit actually cares about them. No, they are just pretending to care so that way they get what they want out of you. I don’t care what side they’re on (and I think the notion of sides is oddly tribalistic). Most people in power are not good people.

I remember a kid in high school who actually got pissed at me for just quietly nodding as he went on some sort of random political rant. He asked me angrily why I just agreed with everything he said. Well, first off, I thought people like it when you agree with them. Second off, I did not really have an opinion on whatever he was going off on. I simply hadn’t researched it enough to form one. And I hate debating. So I just agreed, and by doing so I inadvertently pissed him off. I didn’t talk to him much after that.

Because the thing is, politics is fake. It’s mostly a bunch of stuffy self-centered people spewing BS.

Some people don’t care about sports. Some people don’t care about politics. Just like most people don’t care about poetry, or recent developments in the water park industry. That’s just the way it is.

If I can just live in my own little world, with my imagination and books and music and stories, I’m happy. I will ignore everything else. Just let me live my normal life in my little circle of things that make me content. Let me focus on my career and passions and relationships, and take good care of those close to me, and forget about the rest. That’s all I ask for. If you take this from me, I will fight you nonstop until I get it back. If I get it back and keep it, then I will gradually fade from the political picture, and I will be at peace.

I will conclude with a quote: 

What can one say of the man who simply wishes to go about his day, tend to his crops and family, create art, read great literature, fish for his supper, arise to the rhythms of nature and quite frankly go about his day, thinking not of himself, but of his immediate life, of that which effects him, moment to moment. If you view such a man as oppressed, ignorant or apathetic, then I would say that the parasite of the political is deep within you.

- from this excellent article