I've been in the socio-political commentary business for over a decade. I've seen people arrive and disappear from the political scene, enthusiastic about fighting the good fight and disappearing within a matter of years.
I don't consider this a bad thing. In fact, I typically think this is a relatively smart move. Politics isn't a happy realm. You'll find little comfort here and when you do find it, it has a short shelf life. To view the world through the lens of politics is to look at it through the wrong end of the telescope, often focusing on the parts of the world or nation that are on fire.
No one who deals in politics more often than not walks away unchanged. Politicians, no matter how noble and well-meaning, are often times seduced or corrupted on some level. Even journalists become corrupted, and many have a close relationship with alcohol.
A balance has to be achieved. That's increasingly difficult in today's society. It used to be that you could turn off your television and go hang out with your neighbors and friends. You could go to a sporting event and have that sporting event be wholly removed from ideological infection. When you showed up to watch a movie about dinosaurs, there wasn't some narrative being injected into it that originated in a political party's agenda.
But it's still important to find a time when politics gets put behind you.
Not doing this can make you angry, and even worse, it can make you bitter. During my time in politics, I've watched happy people become distrustful of everyone and quick to anger. They harbor grudges that go well beyond the level they should and they feel the need to find any reason they can to get defensive or, if they're incredibly saturated in politics, go on the offensive.
You can see it happen yourself all the time.
Antifa is a very good example of people who allowed politics to consume them. You can see the suspicions and conspiracy theories forming around people like Oliver Anthony. You've probably heard of, or have experienced watching a family member turn their back on their own blood over political matters.
Even a simple commercial from McDonald's in Japan can set people off as I recently covered.
This is wildly unhealthy, and I don't mean just mentally. As one study from a researcher at the University of Nebraska Lincoln found, too much politics can literally make you sick:
Large numbers of Americans reported politics takes a significant toll on a range of health markers—everything from stress, loss of sleep, or suicidal thoughts to an inability to stop thinking about politics and making intemperate social media posts. The proportion of Americans reporting these effects stayed stable or slightly increased between the spring of 2017 and the fall of 2020 prior to the presidential election. Deterioration in measures of physical health became detectably worse in the wake of the 2020 election. Those who were young, politically interested, politically engaged, or on the political left were more likely to report negative effects.
Nowadays, politics seems to be everything, but this is an illusion being forced upon us.
It's not necessary to obsess with politics all the time. The affairs of the state can oftentimes wait. What's far more important is the relationships you have, the enjoyment you get out of life, and the moments you help create in people. As corny as that sounds, it's absolutely true.
Few people will look back on their lives and wish they'd argued on the internet more, read more articles, or fought with their families harder.
Sometimes the best thing for everyone, including the state, is to take a step back and recenter. Experiencing life does a lot to inform your politics. Stop and talk to God and check out what he made. Remember that the fight isn't just the fight, but the fight for something. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the worst of it.
The question is whether or not you control the fight or the fight controls you.
