Should I quit politics?

The politics race is always rigged. Only the ‘secret powers’ decide who will win unless you don’t believe that the illuminati exist.

Everyone goes through what you are feeling right now. There are more beautiful things in life, and politics can be all interests and lobbys… And it’s easy for people to disconnect. Where I live, confidence in the government regularly manages to hit new lows, and serious attempts to break it down to the public (“what does this bill really mean?”, “what does this candidate really stand for?”) are scarce. This is why I can’t decide on whether to tell you to quit or not. Because I’d like to see people completely involved with politics! My suggestion to you, then, is that you turn to the people instead of the politics: don’t waste your voice. Someone with the ability to understand politics and what really goes on in that world can be quite useful to people who can’t begin to make sense of it (even by writing a blog or talking to friends!). Maybe you can help people understand how their country or municipality or whatever, is ran, and what they can do about to get involved. I hope you get past feeling that way. (One a slightly unrelated note: if you are thinking of quitting, the Freakonomics radio show has this great episode called “the upside of quitting”. You should check it out!) http://www.wnyc.org/shows/freakonomics-radio/2011/jul/01/

It can be disheartening, can’t it? What I’ve tried to do is focus on my little corner of the world, and try not to get overwhelmed with the big picture. I’m still passionate about politics, and I would never give up my right to vote, but I put more of my time and effort on making my family’s life the best it can be.

No, because politics will continue to affect you and those close to you whether you quit or not.

Run for office. Be a doer rather than an observer.

There is a crying, desperate need in modern political life for men of honesty and integrity. If you can maintain your mental balance while those around you are losing theirs, then by all means run for office. Gimmie call, I’ll help you if you want. : )

The tendency to burn out on a certain subject is very common. The secret is to take short breaks fairly often, and long vacations when you can. : )

Read Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton. It addresses a lot of the feelings you are dealing with in a round a bout way.

I’ve been political since I could start voting (actually before I even started). There have been many times when I’ve wanted to head for the hills due to the insanity of politics. I take that as a large clue that I need to take a break and concentrate on other things for a while.

It is great that you do pay attention.

@Jaxk I totally agree and I’d like to add that there are plenty of options for becoming a doer: becoming a community organizer, an active blogger, or doing anything that encourages people to rally together, around an idea or a bill or whatever, also carries a lot of strength – enough strength, sometimes, to change what elected officials choose to do. (If there is anything true in politics, it is that officials respond to pressure. It’s like Roosevelt said: “Okay, you’ve convinced me. No go out and bring pressure on me!”).