I feel like I’m at a weird junction in my life. I’ve been passionate about politics off and on over the last 20 years but I’m finding myself so disgusted by both sides of the coin that I’m honestly feeling sort of repulsed from the topic(s) altogether lately. I’m just tired of everyone fighting. I’m tired of everyone claiming they are tolerant while being completely intolerant of anyone with dissenting opinions.
So my question is this…who’s been here? Who has gone from passionately discussing and being interested in politics (on either side) to removing yourself from those discussions altogether and focusing on things that are not political? How do you feel it affected your life (good or bad)?
28 comments
Gigantic positive improvement.
I’m not completely and totally disconnected, but I just don’t talk about it with people online anymore. I unsubbed from any overtly political subs, I don’t venture out for it away from reddit much, mostly just to be not totally in the dark, but making it a backburner (and a very back backburner) has had a dramatic effect on my mental well being.
I’ve found it’s social media not politics itself so much. Don’t get me wrong, politics suck too but if you’re like me, that’s what used to be enjoyable. It’s the talking heads and social media addicts that make it unbearable
Our current arena is certainly a wild one though but that’s because in part it’s affected by the social media echo chambers and extremists
I’ve been involved with a political party as a statutory officer as well as a voting member of just about every committee that has the authority to make a decision. This took two decades to accomplish.
I recently resigned from everything. I am disgusted with the entire system.
I have never been happier, though it has had sone professional implications.
Great
Politics are such a joke in my country I decided to not give a singular fuck about them
i am/was more just leave me alone and do whatever you want or libertarian for actual terms and social media and politics dont mix at all. its damn near impossible to not have an echo chamber. after ditching all politics. im completely in the dark the shit isnt going to effect my daily life anyways so it has zero reason for me to care. i wont lie at times when i get bored i will go annoy people for reactions when they take in my opinion stances
It’s good to be informed, and bad to let it dominate your thoughts.
It was a major boost to my mental health when I walked away and stopped watching the news and stopped participating in political discussions. I told everyone I know that I really don’t care about anything political anymore and really don’t wish to be a part of those discussions, and it has worked out really well. I would rather enjoy life and have fun friendly conversations with others. I find politics just way too negative and it brings out the worst in people, especially online. I’m very glad I did it though and don’t plan on going back to being into politics
I got to the point that I realized that what is going to happen is going to happen whether or not I let it ruin my day.
I get up early, do a 90 minute gym workout and eat right, even dialed back drinking 90%.
I’m in the same boat. I try to stay informed with what’s going on but I make my own opinions instead of what the politicians are saying. Both parties are two sides of the same shit coin that screw you just in different ways. Once you leave the echochambers you’re stuck in you realize that they’re a bunch of morons
I don’t have to keep up with the three ring circus or be forced to form an opinion on things I couldn’t caress less about.
It’s great. Having virtually no knowledge of politics has been my favorite argument to not talk about it. I worry more about how someone treats me on an individual to individual basis, and I usually don’t need to know anything about their personal political beliefs to get along with/ignore them.
I still listen to some political podcasts that are open and honest about their liberal/conservative agenda. At this point, I’ve made up my mind on most issues. I’m not going to change anyone’s mind by talking to them, and most of the time they won’t change mine. I guess I’m distantly informed with solidified opinions.
Oh man, I’ve been there. I used to be all into politics, passionately discussing it with everyone. But nowadays, I feel you, it’s just exhausting. Both sides seem to be all about fighting and claiming tolerance while shutting down anyone who disagrees. It’s like a broken record. So, yeah, I’ve taken a step back from politics and focused on other stuff. And you know what? It’s been great. I feel less stressed, more at peace. It’s like a weight lifted off my shoulders. So if you’re considering going down that path, give it a try. Your mental health will thank you.
I changed from advocating for one side to advocating for civility and moderation. Organizations that advocate for things like open primaries and ranked choice voting or approval voting are trying to change the political environment to make it easier to elect moderates and independents. It’s actually 40% of us who are politically independent, and only about 30% in either political party. I think it’s really worthwhile to spend my political energy advocating for reforms that make it easier for us independents to get elected.
Your mental health will improve drastically if you stop engaging with the constant negativity of politics
Oh man I’m vibing out over here. I never cared about it when I was younger, got a tiny taste when I got older and said NOPE. It probably was easier for me since my older brother is a massive history/politics guy. Overall ignorance is bliss with modern politics and the media in America. It’s designed to draw a line between our communities.
Also I really resonated with pretty much everything you said and it was really refreshing to know someone else has arrived at the same place as me.
Admittedly haven’t been jaded nearly as long as you (started getting active in 2016 and disengaged about a year ago
Been going great. Great though. Most of the doom and gloom about the world vanished when you’re only seeing the stuff that directly affects your community. “Ignorance is bliss” is about the perfect summary
I’m just chilling watching the LOTR trilogy and keeping my brain perpetually in 2007 bro.
I stopped watching the news 30 years ago. No more nightmares about missiles, no worrying about housing slumps etc, just go to work, come home and get on with life. It’s all a shit show anyway, no party holds power long enough to make significant change, policies and programs are bounced around from owner to owner with half assed results.
Yep, i ignore politics as much as possible and especially ignore media… I’m all the better for it. Politicians are all tarred with the same brush regardless of the quadrant they sit in and there’s sweet fuck all any of us can do about it, anyone who disagrees is ignorant beyond belief or just not worth debating with. Fuck politicians.
I’ve always stayed away even when I was growing up for this exact reason
Everyone passionate about politics from among the ones I’ve met thinks they’re right & have the perfect answer
Then if your answer is different they just try to convince you your idea is dumb & theirs is better
However if you had the same answer you guys just bond over talking crap about the opposition without giving their ideas a fair chance
It’s a stressful topic really but I know it’s important as a whole
Great. Once you realize it’s just a bunch of oligarchs (but with different first world names) fighting over who gets which millions and they’ll never give any to you, life gets much better.
I did not stray away from politics… proactively I’ve been moving away faster than a Koenigsegg race at from it.
I was never really political until college, where at the time I was more right wing, even to the point of joining the military. My only real interest in politics was against American political discrimination; companies in the United States, why they could not discriminate against groups protected under the civil rights act, could—and still can—proactively discriminate against people on the basis of their political Inclinations. All I wanted to do with my life was become a professional opera singer. But the arts and entertainment industries in America have always been highly prejudiced against our service members, because they equate their service to supporting a Political cause. At the time, I believed that the American right stood against political discrimination, and I even believed that its candidates would sign an executive order outlawing American political discrimination.
But up to January 6. That never happened, and the right even became Judenrats against ALL their own voters, not just the people who were at the Capitol.
So I’ve stayed away from politics, because the old ideas of democracy, of our Constitutional Republic, and of the power of voting, have betrayed everything I needed of them. I’ve even left the United States to try and pursue a better life overseas, because the Politics of my country will NEVER do anything for its own people ever again.
Nothing bores or annoys me as much as politics. And I constantly have to navigate around American politics… Even though I’m Canadian.
Whenever there’s any news, which seems too often, I have co-workers and some friends who non-stop bring up every detail and when they ask for my option or take, I reply “I don’t (want to) know.”
Edit: realized I didn’t answer the question – it’s going good. I don’t see it online almost at all so I’m glad.
I’m much better off now
Nothing good ever came from thinking about politics. It’s a crap show and I want no part of it. Just gotta keep tending to my small slice of earth. At least I have control over that.
Alot better.
I still read headlines, but I basically don’t talk about it with anyone.
If someone starts talking politics, I just remove myself.
For about six months in 2016 I got super into it, arguing online, talking about it in person, even getting myself physically upset, and my wife looked at me and said, “This has to stop.” So I did.
I’ve been so much better since.