Whether on-line or in person, if someone I am dealing with wants to argue, he/she can go find somebody else. I'm not interested. Contention is stressful, and I strive very hard not to be contentious, nor do I maintain relationships where contention persists.
I have friends who have a variety of opinions, both political and otherwise, but we are either able to discuss our differences without contention, or we stick to other topics. Or I will distance myself from them. Contention is a choice, and I have chosen to avoid it. This world is full of wonderful and delightful people and things, and that is where I choose to focus my attention. Doesn't mean that there are not tough moments and challenges - that is just part of life, but we don't need to make it tougher with contention, much less go looking for it.
You wrote: "I’ll also point out that very little of what happens in politics at the federal or national level ever trickles down to you."
I disagree and I look at "Charlie Wilson's War" as an example. With very little money, we were able to get The USSR out of Afghanistan... and if we spent a measly (I believe it was $5 million dollars) to build Afghan schools, teach what we did then maybe I would have gotten to go on my honeymoon that was scheduled to leave from Miami to Munich on 9/11/2001... and maybe we would not have had to ever spend trillions of dollars on two wars on that very small investment (who knows?)
I agree that talking about it to people that disagree with you is pointless and the algorithms make it so! Maybe use Scott Galloway's idea of if your platform uses algo's to feed your timeline on social media or any other website, you are not granted immunity from section 234 on what users' opine... Then you would simply see a timeline of all your contacts when you see "followers" instead of the ones where you agree with in principle or disagree with so you stay on the platform longer.
You don't need term limits, you need election reform... get rid of Citizens United, dark money, and make primaries where the top 4 or 5 candidates automatically go to the general election and do rank voting from there (that way our representatives can simply vote his/her conscious and not worry about being primaried); Alaska does this system and it works; otherwise we'd have that dope Sarah Palin as a lifetime congresswoman from Alaska had they hadn't changed it!
I agree with you not to let politicians rent space in my head. Like you, I didn't have kids and love cats so I don't have skin in the game of what is going to happen in 2050 when Africa is double the population and we no longer give a $4 vaccine to protect them from dangerous viruses, but other countries that may not have our best interests in mind take that simple low cost item over may plant different ideals of the USA.
I'm for the little things that make the big changes (like building schools in Afghanistan in 1980's, giving vaccines to poor people in Africa, all kids in America having access to "real food" ... the outer areas of the grocery store fruits, veggies, meat, rice and beans and none of the processed garbage and have the brains of those kids develop the way they should. Because it is those little low relative cost things that could be most beneficial to the world...not just my interests.
I never talk politics on social and I am glad I got to write a "little essay" myself that some of your subscribers will read and thank you for giving me this opportunity to opine. I believe in the KISS principle. But we are fed garbage with data, bad education and food...and George Carlin said it best ... "it's because the owners want it that way...the club members...it's a big club... and none of us are part of it." Knowing that simple truth helps me not let the people with power ever rent space in my head where I basically stay off social media and barely watch news on TV...because I live by the simple principle to "live with love, because love is life! If you miss love, you miss life!."
Bro, your article is bullshit and comes from a shortsighted perspective of how the world revolves. Have you heard the words "COVID-19", "global pandemic", or "mandatory vaccination"? Do you know that people's rights are decides through politics? Are you aware that the richest and most powerful people on the work participate in politics, even artista and celebrities?
I can't say I agree with everything Jared wrote in this article. I believe all levels of government have an indirect influence on one's life...just dig a little deeper to find it. I've had my X/Twitter account since 2008, before Elon, and I use my real name. If more people used their real names, the shitposts, vitriol, and overall stupidity would go way down.
Sitting here in Canada, it is hard to ignore the politics coming from the US, as Trump’s continual floating of Canada becoming a “51st state” is starting to get to me. If there were a referendum, unless the terms were extremely good, I suspect 97 pct plus Canadians would reject the idea of no longer being a sovereign nation. In which case… what? Will the US go to war to take Canada? Squeeze us economically until we say yes (which, I would argue, is immoral to do with a longstanding ally?). Am I over-reacting? Because I’m seriously deciding what level of action I would go to try to fight that, however futile it would be. America decided (after many years) not to keep its sons and daughters in “foreign wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do Americans want their sons and daughters being killed by Canadian insurgents aka rebels, legitimately (I would argue) battling an illegal occupation? That’s what would happen. To what end?
Sitting here in America, I can assure you that at least this one American thinks the idea of making Canada the 51st state is a ludicrous statement and idea. Be well.
I am sitting here in Toronto, trying to unscramble Trump's actions from his twitter directives. It was panic for us here if the 25% tariffs on all products went through but then we got a 30 day reprieve. But not really, as we have 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum now! But this does not really affect my job.
I just look forward to Trump's directives for their entertainment value. We have a coup situation here Conservatives primed to take over Trudeau's Liberals. But I have realized over the last few months that there will really be no effect on me. Maybe that is why I don't care much as a voter....
Very very well said and - there are actions one can take which directly affect your daily life and happiness - don’t like the local politics - you can move somewhere “better”
I don't have political discussions on my social media pages and groups for a reason...and you've covered most of those reasons here.
...it is entertaining, sometimes, to watch the people on both sides yell past each other into their respective echo chambers and pretend they're scoring points in game that matters.
I also enjoy that none of them understand that they are being manipulated into their behavior, often by the very people they're railing against.
The more people allow themselves to be angry and divided, the more politicians and media can to that is in their interest, not ours...
Love it, Jared. I needed to read this. Thank you.
👏
Things rich people say.
Whether on-line or in person, if someone I am dealing with wants to argue, he/she can go find somebody else. I'm not interested. Contention is stressful, and I strive very hard not to be contentious, nor do I maintain relationships where contention persists.
I have friends who have a variety of opinions, both political and otherwise, but we are either able to discuss our differences without contention, or we stick to other topics. Or I will distance myself from them. Contention is a choice, and I have chosen to avoid it. This world is full of wonderful and delightful people and things, and that is where I choose to focus my attention. Doesn't mean that there are not tough moments and challenges - that is just part of life, but we don't need to make it tougher with contention, much less go looking for it.
Well said. Thanks!
You wrote: "I’ll also point out that very little of what happens in politics at the federal or national level ever trickles down to you."
I disagree and I look at "Charlie Wilson's War" as an example. With very little money, we were able to get The USSR out of Afghanistan... and if we spent a measly (I believe it was $5 million dollars) to build Afghan schools, teach what we did then maybe I would have gotten to go on my honeymoon that was scheduled to leave from Miami to Munich on 9/11/2001... and maybe we would not have had to ever spend trillions of dollars on two wars on that very small investment (who knows?)
I agree that talking about it to people that disagree with you is pointless and the algorithms make it so! Maybe use Scott Galloway's idea of if your platform uses algo's to feed your timeline on social media or any other website, you are not granted immunity from section 234 on what users' opine... Then you would simply see a timeline of all your contacts when you see "followers" instead of the ones where you agree with in principle or disagree with so you stay on the platform longer.
You don't need term limits, you need election reform... get rid of Citizens United, dark money, and make primaries where the top 4 or 5 candidates automatically go to the general election and do rank voting from there (that way our representatives can simply vote his/her conscious and not worry about being primaried); Alaska does this system and it works; otherwise we'd have that dope Sarah Palin as a lifetime congresswoman from Alaska had they hadn't changed it!
I agree with you not to let politicians rent space in my head. Like you, I didn't have kids and love cats so I don't have skin in the game of what is going to happen in 2050 when Africa is double the population and we no longer give a $4 vaccine to protect them from dangerous viruses, but other countries that may not have our best interests in mind take that simple low cost item over may plant different ideals of the USA.
I'm for the little things that make the big changes (like building schools in Afghanistan in 1980's, giving vaccines to poor people in Africa, all kids in America having access to "real food" ... the outer areas of the grocery store fruits, veggies, meat, rice and beans and none of the processed garbage and have the brains of those kids develop the way they should. Because it is those little low relative cost things that could be most beneficial to the world...not just my interests.
I never talk politics on social and I am glad I got to write a "little essay" myself that some of your subscribers will read and thank you for giving me this opportunity to opine. I believe in the KISS principle. But we are fed garbage with data, bad education and food...and George Carlin said it best ... "it's because the owners want it that way...the club members...it's a big club... and none of us are part of it." Knowing that simple truth helps me not let the people with power ever rent space in my head where I basically stay off social media and barely watch news on TV...because I live by the simple principle to "live with love, because love is life! If you miss love, you miss life!."
Al Cheech - LadiesOnFilm
Bro, your article is bullshit and comes from a shortsighted perspective of how the world revolves. Have you heard the words "COVID-19", "global pandemic", or "mandatory vaccination"? Do you know that people's rights are decides through politics? Are you aware that the richest and most powerful people on the work participate in politics, even artista and celebrities?
You proved everything Jared wrote. Thanks for providing such a perfect example!
Disagree with some of Jared’s takes here, am happy to have read them.
I can't say I agree with everything Jared wrote in this article. I believe all levels of government have an indirect influence on one's life...just dig a little deeper to find it. I've had my X/Twitter account since 2008, before Elon, and I use my real name. If more people used their real names, the shitposts, vitriol, and overall stupidity would go way down.
He said what we're all thinking every single day of our lives.
Sitting here in Canada, it is hard to ignore the politics coming from the US, as Trump’s continual floating of Canada becoming a “51st state” is starting to get to me. If there were a referendum, unless the terms were extremely good, I suspect 97 pct plus Canadians would reject the idea of no longer being a sovereign nation. In which case… what? Will the US go to war to take Canada? Squeeze us economically until we say yes (which, I would argue, is immoral to do with a longstanding ally?). Am I over-reacting? Because I’m seriously deciding what level of action I would go to try to fight that, however futile it would be. America decided (after many years) not to keep its sons and daughters in “foreign wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do Americans want their sons and daughters being killed by Canadian insurgents aka rebels, legitimately (I would argue) battling an illegal occupation? That’s what would happen. To what end?
Sitting here in America, I can assure you that at least this one American thinks the idea of making Canada the 51st state is a ludicrous statement and idea. Be well.
I am sitting here in Toronto, trying to unscramble Trump's actions from his twitter directives. It was panic for us here if the 25% tariffs on all products went through but then we got a 30 day reprieve. But not really, as we have 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum now! But this does not really affect my job.
I just look forward to Trump's directives for their entertainment value. We have a coup situation here Conservatives primed to take over Trudeau's Liberals. But I have realized over the last few months that there will really be no effect on me. Maybe that is why I don't care much as a voter....
Very very well said and - there are actions one can take which directly affect your daily life and happiness - don’t like the local politics - you can move somewhere “better”
I had to Merriam-Webster "apoplexy" to determine that it means having a stroke. Yeah, that sounds about right.
I love it.
You nailed it.
I don't have political discussions on my social media pages and groups for a reason...and you've covered most of those reasons here.
...it is entertaining, sometimes, to watch the people on both sides yell past each other into their respective echo chambers and pretend they're scoring points in game that matters.
I also enjoy that none of them understand that they are being manipulated into their behavior, often by the very people they're railing against.
The more people allow themselves to be angry and divided, the more politicians and media can to that is in their interest, not ours...
We are so similar, Jared. They are idiots and we unmanipulable geniuses. Time for our sword fight, Jared!
I'm a long way from a genius...
Very stupid article, the author has always been a much better writer than thinker, esp here, where his head is really up his very own a**
You proved everything Jared wrote. Thanks for providing such a perfect example!