How To Be Politically Engaged But Not Go Insane
Stay calm. Don't knee-jerk react into siding with tribes. We can all help to make things better.
[This is an off-topic post for me, but being angry at politics has been interfering with my writing and thinking. So let’s figure out a solution by writing about it, and hopefully we can all move forward and improve our lives.]
Are you trying to live your life but feeling stressed out and crazy because everything seems dumber than usual? Are you wishing you could do something - anything - to make a tiny positive difference, but feeling frustrated because you don't know how? Are you wishing the world would just go away so you could live your regular life in peace?
Me too. Welcome to the 2020s, when politicians are constantly racing to lower the bar, media makes it worse by feeding you fear and hate, and sane, genuinely good people seem fewer all of the time.
It's been this way for thousands of years. It seems humans never change.
In truth I just want to grow some vegetables, plant trees, raise my kids to be good people, and save a few dollars for retirement. Yet I also feel a responsibility to try and make the world better than I found it. To pay forward some of the amazing luck and generosity I have been given for no reason. So how do you balance being a constructive, engaged citizen with a desire to just avoid all of the dumbness?
Don't panic. You too can take steps to save your own sanity, and perhaps even do one small thing to nudge the world toward being a tiny bit better. Here are some notes and a guide for myself as a reminder. Perhaps you will find it useful too.
1. Set Your Expectations: Dumb Stuff Will Happen
From Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, two thousand years ago:
"You shouldn’t be surprised when a fig tree produces figs. A good doctor isn’t surprised when patients have fevers, or a helmsman when the wind blows against him. Don’t be surprised when the world produces whatever is natural for it." – Meditations, 8.15
Just as bees are gonna buzz and plants are going to grow - at some point politicians are going to say or do something dumb and ridiculous. Perhaps they genuinely believe they are doing the right thing. Perhaps not. In any case it's going to keep happening so there is no sense in getting surprised or upset about it.
How other people act is not something we can control. But we can control how we respond to it, and we can also control what media, news sources, and inputs we allow into our brain.
2. Mental Health: Know How To Stay Calm And Ignore
The next step is mental defense. Modern media is low on actual journalism working to uncover the truth and high on empty, knee-jerk sound bites that are meant to get you outraged and angry. Fear and anger lead to clicks. Clicks lead to advertising money.
The most important thing is to stay calm, and not let it get to you. Most news stories aren't actually news. Most media feeds are designed to make you mad. Stop scrolling. Outsmart them by refusing to play the game.
3. Realize That Media Is *Trying* To Overwhelm Us
This HWFO blog post says it well:
“One of the chief features of the Sensemaking Crisis is information overload. Too much media to parse. Social media exacerbates this, because it contains millions of participants seeking out the most extreme content to amplify … without checking it against the truth, and sharing it within echo chambers
To make sense of any of this, you must first take the time to realize that your sensemaking apparatus has been compromised, as has that of everyone with whom you disagree
Everything you read or see is produced through this lens
Hawks maintain power through war and fear. The two most potent tools in the hawk arsenal are violence and information bubbles. … The Sensemaking Crisis is their tool.
4. All Media Is Biased
When you do read it, realize that all media has bias. Most sources are shilling toward one political party or another, to try and convince people of their worldview. How do you tell who they are biased toward? Just read a few headlines or articles. Most likely the stories will describe a political party as either amazing or horrible, regardless of what they are actually doing. Keep this bias in mind when reading.
5. Know How To Interpret Media
Whenever you read news articles, keep the following rules in mind (from apenwarr, “How To Read Political News”):
Rule 1: All quotes from politicians are weasel words; don't trust them. Politicians are always happy to change their stance if they think it will get them more votes.
Rule 2: No fact checking is ever done. Using quotations from any individual allow the newspaper to avoid fact checking. "It is always a fact that X person *said* Y". You have to ignore this and read deeper.
Rule 3: All numbers are made up. Nothing is attributed to anyone so they can get away with it.
Most newspapers and media are overworked and underpaid. They don't have time and they're on a deadline. Corners get cut.
This will likely only get worse with the rise of generative AI - the easier it is to create content, the fewer actual humans exercising good judgment will be involved in the process.
Does it seem strange that ChatGPT became such a successful hit, even though it will lie or be outright wrong 50% to 99% of the time? It turns out that being correct is not necessary for having a successful product. Being a fast and convincing is good enough.
Special Mention: Teri Kanefield and The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle
I would like to call out and thank lawyer Teri Kanefield for writing a number of essays on how to cut through the bullshit, stay calm, and interpret just the facts about news stories. She has an excellent multi-part essay titled "The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle", where she walks through many of the incentives and motivations behind the current slew of low-quality media and reporting. She discusses how there is plenty of money to be made by intentionally keeping everyone angry and worried, so that you can sell them news updates, a fake solution, or both. How the rule of law and legal work are often intentionally careful so that we can get things right more often. This is good for justice and getting the right outcome, but also makes it easy to convince people that "things aren't being done" or "it's not happening fast enough". Social media of course makes this much worse.
Kanefield talks about how many "news reporters" have sadly changed from being people who actually report the facts and provide context, into entertainers who try to identify groups and "take sides". They mainly just reflect our existing opinions back at us, to try and make us feel validated and accepted. But this isn't really informative, and only makes it easier for people to exist inside information bubbles. It makes panic easier, not better.
In addition to feeling better when you see it explained, it makes it easier to spot. Hopefully that helps us all to break out of the cycle more often. Kanefield has also published a list of things you can do about it, which is my favourite approach.
These essays are helpful. Check them out. Thanks Teri.
6. Choose A Small Scope
The bad news: you cannot personally fix all of the problems in the world.
The good news: you do not have to personally fix all of the problems in the world.
Conserve your energy. Set yourself up for success, and be kind to yourself by narrowing your focus. Choose one cause, or one area, or a subset that you truly care about. Focus on that.
It is better to take one small step forward and do one thing than to exhaust yourself worrying about everything. Choose one attainable action you can take. Take it. And then feel good. If you did one thing that was within your power - that's a win.
One option: Write A Letter
Does writing letters still matter? Several sources say yes. Take this ACLU guide on writing to politicians:
Keep your letter to one page.
One topic.
Be polite.
Speak plainly and state the facts. Only send something if you would feel comfortable having it published in a newspaper. You never know.
If you have taken the first step and written a letter - rejoice! Great work. Other options include getting involved in local politics or events, running for a local position, and others.
Sending Positive Feedback Is Useful Too
You can also send letters or emails with *positive* feedback. Did someone do or say something that was genuinely helpful? Did they give it their best effort, even if the results weren't ideal? Write these people too!
Positive Feedback can make a big difference, especially at lifting spirits and helping hard-working people to stay motivated. Imagine how many negative, critical, or hateful messages some reporters and low-level political workers might receive each day. Now imagine how many *positive* messages they receive (likely not many). Perhaps you will make their day, their week, or their year, and help them to feel better. Perhaps your gratitude will give them something reassuring and inspiring to fall back on and find courage from in difficult times. That's a kind gift.
I try to send people positive feedback any time I enjoy or am inspired by a book, project, work of art, or other endeavor. It’s a small step I can take to try and build the world into being more positive.
7. Celebrate Successes
If you did one thing - celebrate! You should feel good about your actions. You're taking one step to make the world a better place. Genuinely - Good for you.
8. Take A Break. Try Some Healthy Activities
Make space in your life for healthy inputs to your brain, and calming influences.
Reading. Perhaps fiction?
Exercise. Walking, running, swimming, lifting heavy things. Any movement or practice is healthy.
Meditation
Prayer
Contemplation of the vastness of time and the large scale of the cosmos
Contemplation of gratitude for all of the good things that you have
Pet your dog or other animal
Board games
Any fun activity that is unplugged and not electric in front a screen
Spend quality time with those you care about
Don't spend your life glued to the news or social media. You need healthy inputs too. Make regular room for these so they are prioritized first.
9. Practice Some Gratitude
It pays to regularly consider the big picture, and have gratitude for the good things that we have. No matter how difficult things seem right now - what can you make a list of to be grateful for?
Do you live in a place where you are safe from harm?
Are you healthy? Uninjured?
Do you have access to clean food and water? Have you eaten today?
Do you have shelter where you can stay? Does it keep you warm or cool?
Are you not actively being evicted from your home, community, or country?
Do you not have to travel or flee to some foreign place for safety?
Are you not being drafted, to serve in the military against your will?
Are you currently not imprisoned?
Is no one actively trying to harm you or your family?
Do you have a job where you can work to earn money for food?
Do you have access to some types of healthcare?
Are you well enough that you can exercise, and improve your own health?
Are you literate and able to read?
Do you have the ability to keep learning and improving yourself?
For any of these items that you can check off - even if only on some days - consider all of the ways you are lucky. How many people would happily trade places with you to exchange their problems for yours?
Hang In There
Sometimes the world seems bad. Sometimes things seem tough. But hang in there, disconnect, take care of yourself. This too shall pass.
References And Inspiration
“The Socratic Method”, by Ward Farnsworth. Tips for building common ground and creating better dialogue.
“The Troublemaker’s Teaparty”, by Charles Dobson
“The Citizens Handbook”, by Charles Dobson (archive.org link). A compilation about creating positive change, from Vancouver, Canada. This seems to perhaps be a precursor to his book, above.
Parks & Wilderness Society:
“How to Write a Letter” to politicians
Teri Kanefield - “The Misinformation / Outrage Cycle”
Book: Rules For Radicals, by Saul Alinsky