# What kind of people like politics?



## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

One group of people I find inscrutable are people who actually like politics (do they actually exist?). Politics in this context refers to any system of citizen participation in the government of their nation (large-scale sociopolitical unit). 

To me, politics is but a necessary evil that we have to participate in to prevent misuse of resources and mistreatment of those who live in a given society. I loathe politics. I hate the arguing and disagreements, I hate being subject to other people's (invariably limited) ideas of what's best for society, I hate having to keep up with all the crap politicians are doing to be an informed citizen, I hate the lying, the demagoguery, and the stupid popularity contests candidates put on to get votes, I hate the huge and boring voter handbooks I have to read before I can vote properly, I hate politicians having so much power over people (especially when citizens don't seem bothered by it or question it). 

None of it is the least bit enjoyable or interesting to me for its own sake. Being a responsible voter is a massive chore, and politics is an endless, futile *drama* that should not exist and can never create what is best for human beings (because people can best get their needs met in small-scale sociopolitical units like tribes, not huge nation states). Of course some of the things I dislike are specific to my country. 

So why do you or don't you like or find yourself interested in politics?


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## Suntide (Dec 22, 2018)

For its own sake? No. Like you, I participate in politics because it's just something we have to do as a society if we want to stay organized. I study the candidates, I vote, I might dabble in political discussions when they are immediately relevant, but I do not and never will enjoy politics just for the sake of politics itself. I really dislike conflict, bickering, disagreements, and miscommunications, which all run rampant in political discussions.


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## Forest Nymph (Aug 25, 2018)

I've always been interested in politics. So was my grandfather. One of my relatives held a state government office when I was a child, and my great-aunt had a photo of her son sitting on John F. Kennedy's lap. 

Politics is a subject just like anything else. I also like history and sociology. Politics are very REAL to me. When I lived in the city I went to marches and protests, and volunteered with the Bernie Sanders campaign. I constantly sign petitions and just called my congressman a few days ago. I think people who don't vote are assholes, and I loathe how Americans buffer themselves from the reality of climate change, social injustice and poverty with fictional television shows and video games. I prefer the Internet because at least there's non-fictional ideas, debates, and news here. 

Politics have only become overly stressful for me since Trump was elected. It's one of the first times in my life where I've consciously told myself I'm not going to read the news for a day or a week.


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## Strelnikov (Jan 19, 2018)

Hello Clitty said:


> One group of people I find inscrutable are people who actually like politics (do they actually exist?). Politics in this context refers to any system of citizen participation in the government of their nation (large-scale sociopolitical unit).
> 
> To me, politics is but a necessary evil that we have to participate in to prevent misuse of resources and mistreatment of those who live in a given society. I loathe politics. I hate the arguing and disagreements, I hate being subject to other people's (invariably limited) ideas of what's best for society, I hate having to keep up with all the crap politicians are doing to be an informed citizen, I hate the lying, the demagoguery, and the stupid popularity contests candidates put on to get votes, I hate the huge and boring voter handbooks I have to read before I can vote properly, I hate politicians having so much power over people (especially when citizens don't seem bothered by it or question it).
> 
> ...


Yes, we do exist. Politics is awesome. I like politics, although not every aspect of it.

So, what is good about politics? Considering I have a boring desk job and am forced to deal with daily boring crap from boring people, politics comes as a blessing. The only thing I have ever done that made me feel alive was politics. My greatest achievements in my lifetime are related to politics. The action, the high stakes, it's where I feel alive... Even as I looked upon politics both from the inside and the outside as a citizen, I always felt I would get along so much better with people like Vladimir Putin than with ordinary people (unless they are also into politics, then they're awesome). The thing is they speak a language I can understand: the language of power. Even if we disagree, at least we speak the same language. We understand each other. And there is immense value in that.

While others are concerned with boring stuff like what club to go to this weekend or what clothes to buy, politicians deal with the big stuff, from education to defence. It's interesting and has meaning. Even on a smaller scale, you get to participate in historical events not just as a passive observer, but as a participant. For example, I don't understand my parents who are without ambition. Having a home, a job and some kids... Is this what life is all about? If it is, then I do not want it! It is a curse! Politics gives me the venue to pursue my ambitions. It gives me meaning. They never understood this... the thirst, the hunger... to want and the will to take... to make your way into history so that your name would be remembered for all time, so that in the hour of your death you would be able to say: "I did something" instead of having regrets about all the things you didn't do.

Is there any guarantee that I will achieve these things? No, there isn't. But at least in my final hour I would know I have fought for what I want and I will die content with that knowledge.

Furthermore, people see the deeds of politicians in a negative light. Maybe rightly so, however I had the opportunity to see life through both lenses and I realised something: the people are much worse. The only difference is: politicians' deeds are discussed publicly. You see their affairs and their corruption, but no one talks publicly about the affairs and corruption of people. The ordinary person criticises a politician for his affair, while hypocritically ignoring all his own. If the ordinary people had the power, things would be so much worse for everyone. I remember someone asking an ordinary guy: "What would you do if you had power and knew that you only have 1 more month until you lose the elections?" And he answered honestly (to his credit): "I would steal!" I remember his tone. It was the tone of someone who never had anything and given the opportunity would steal everything. There was this thirst for money. That glimmer of greed. That's who the people are. And it is the job of politicians to at least temper that. There was this scene in Game of Thrones which captures this untold truth, a discussion between Daenerys and Tyrion. She asks him: "Why did you come to the far side of the world to meet someone terrible?" Tyrion: "To see if you're the right kind of terrible" Daenerys: "And which kind is that?" Tyrion: "The kind that prevents her people from being even more so" I was like: YESSSSS!!! Finally, someone reveals this truth. Yes, we might be terrible (although there are more honest and decent people in politics than might be suspected from the outside based on what the media says), but the people are even more so.

Yes, there are many aspects I dislike, like the "popularity contest" you mentioned, the exaggerated focus on image instead of substance. But overall, it's totally worth it. Not so much what you see on TV, as much as the actual practice of politics. Not the talk, but the action.


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## 74893H (Dec 27, 2017)

I utterly hate politics, but I've fallen down the modern socio-political rabbit hole and once you're in you can't get out. The associated topics infuriate me but I feel it's too important to ignore. 
Then social politics turns out to be the gateway drug and you passively absorb all the other kinds of politics until before you know it you're frolicking through the minefield that is general politics and oh god, help. I've become everything teenage me scoffed at.


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## Mange (Jan 9, 2011)

I stopped caring about politics when I lost the right to vote.


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## Blue Wolf (Feb 8, 2019)

I vote even if I don't like politics and politicians, but I sometimes like intelligently discussing political theory. I'm wary of ignorant politicians making life worse.


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## Lucan1010 (Jul 23, 2018)

Yeah, I find politics pretty interesting. I live in America, so nowadays I mostly just stress over how bad things are :laughing:


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

I'm interested in politics, yeah


Strelnikov said:


> (although there are more honest and decent people in politics than might be suspected from the outside based on what the media says)


As someone who grew up in my state capital and personally knows a few people currently in, and who are going into politics: yes. I know it's popular to pretend that all politicians are sociopaths, and essentially reptile wearing human skin, but honestly the ones I've met and/or know personally who have gone into politics are pretty normal. They stand out in a "wow, this guy's a serious workaholic" way, not a "this person is secretly a sociopath" way, ie they stand out the same way my High Schools valedictorian stands out. You absolutely have more sociopaths in politics than in the general population (and most of them probably have some degree of a Machiavellian streak), but that's what? Bumping 1% of the population up to maybe about 7? Politicians aren't even listed here, falling behind devious professions like chefs: These are the 10 jobs most likely to attract psychopaths - Dr Kevin Dutton, Ph.D. 

There's corruption in politics obviously, but there's corruption in every profession, you notice it more when it's a world leader than when it's the manager at your local Burger King. And obviously, something as large as a government is going to have more room for it.

Politics are often dirty, but politicians themselves are more likely to be pretty normal people playing an inherently dirty game, and a lot of them do go into it with a genuine sense of drive. I don't inherently trust them, because it's dangerous and stupid to genuinely trust anyone in politics, but like

They're not less human because they have ambition.

You want to know an area where I really do see a lot of sociopathic and narcissist types? Accounting.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

I don't like it, but there it is. Saying nothing is essentially saying you agree with whomever is speaking at any given time. You have to speak up, get involved, and take action. It is impossible to put your head in the sand. If you do, some douche canoe might show up and start taking away your basic rights (or someone like Donald Trump might get elected president).


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## Im FiNe (Oct 17, 2013)

Regarding _politics_ as the academic study of the science or art of governing and governments, I find it somewhat interesting.

Regarding _politics_ as gamesmanship to get one's way, I loathe it (_e.g._, the recent US government shutdown that put people out of immediate income).


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## Ziegel (Feb 11, 2019)

People are forced to like politics, because democracy. They are involved in the ruling process - or at least they think they are. Get rid of this democracy obstacle and you have a populace which doesn't care about politics THAT much.


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## Sugarpot (Dec 30, 2017)

ISTPs

It's just that I like to inform myself well enough, but don't come with me with politics... I hate this game of sides! Stop it... just stop it.


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## Sugarpot (Dec 30, 2017)

Ziegel said:


> People are forced to like politics, because democracy. They are involved in the ruling process - or at least they think they are. Get rid of this democracy obstacle and you have a populace which doesn't care about politics THAT much.


It's not about just that... there is also the entire media content money producing industry, they even chit chat about meaningless politician attribute or whatever just to talk about.


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## Ziegel (Feb 11, 2019)

Yeah and almost everywhere the major 2 parties have already made a cartel and they follow the same path just switching places. "The last ones were worse than us" and they are even worse, and the next ruling party turns out to be even even worse etc,


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## Mick Travis (Aug 18, 2016)

Angry and gullible people like politics. Narcissists work in the field. Myself, I think its great entertainment all together.


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## TacoTach (Apr 6, 2019)

I love political philosophy and have a particular interest in pretty much all heterodox political ideas and figures, but I hate everyday electoral politics because politicians simply don't have any incentive to say anything intelligent or have productive conversations with their opponents. And because most political activists are partisan hacks who only think in terms of slogans whilst having zero understanding of their opponent's arguments (that afects both radicals and moderates alike). These are some of the reasons why I don't like to get into political arguments with people, because it's terribly unproductive and uninteresting. Very rarely anyone changes his mind in a political issue during a heated argument with someone. Doesn't mean heated arguments aren't fun, just (generally) not when it comes to politics.

I also happen to think that democracy is a terrible system and that politics shouldn't even exist in the first place, so there's that too.


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