RANT: I have lost tolerance for people who have no interest in current events or politics.

[Honeycombe8]

Maybe I care too much. Maybe I see every presidential election as a critical must-win, or God only knows what could happen (but then, we saw what happened after the 2004 election!).

But I have family and friends who have no interest in politics or current events. They don't read or watch the news, never refer to anything in the news (local or national), didn't watch the debates or party conventions, etc. One relative even had the nerve to call me to chat during the Democratic National Convention right before Bill Clinton was about to speak. Now, I'm not a football fan, but I think I have the good sense not to call someone to chat during the Superbowl.

I was talking to another relative last week, when politics came up. I was chatting just about 2 mins about politics, when she changed the subject, "Okay, let's talk about movies, now." I got off the phone, because, no....we're not gonna talk about movies, now. I love movies. I love movie trivia. I go to the movies frequently. But life isn't JUST movies.

The way a conversation works is...we talk about this, then we talk about that, then we talk about this. A particular interest of yours, then a particular interest of mine, then a particular interest of yours. Current events, politics, and elections are directly related to our lives.

If I have to listen to your description of your bouts of bronchitis week after week, then dammit, you can talk politics for five minutes. If you don't vote for Obama, you could see the payment for those bouts of bronchitis cut drastically (Medicaid). Or are you trying to prevent me from knowing that you don't have a thought in your head that isn't about YOU?

No kidding, I have relatives that I have no idea what political persuasion they are, or how they vote, or IF they vote!

I have quit answering the phone to some during the remainder of this election season. I have lost all tolerance with people who haven't a thought inside their fluffy heads that isn't about anything related to the world around them. They are BORING and intolerable. (They probably think that I am boring and intolerable, when I talk about politics.)

Then I think...well, maybe I take all this too seriously. Maybe I've taken this too far. I dunno. I can be a little excessive about some things. Are you all the same way?

[KaryninMiami]

1. I feel your pain. It makes me crazy when someone says "I don't Do politics"

Or has no interest in even being remotely educated or engaged. Makes me crazy when they say "you are so political- I don't follow those things" or when people give me that "there she goes again" look. Or when I bring up things that I find terrifying- like electronic voting machine rigging or voter suppression or how ACA really is a big fucking deal or vaginal ultrasounds or whatever it is at that moment that is making me crazy- and I get that condescending attitude or one of those glances about being nuts. It's like there's a complete disconnect with most people- or at least many (but I think it's more like most, sadly) between how the decisions made by our government actually impact our lives. People don't think the Supreme Court has anything to do with us- many people actually I know this because I ask them.

So, I'm with you - and I too take these things VERY seriously. And possibly to the point of being too far but I cannot help it. I care too much. These things matter- big time. No apologies.

[brush]

2. Ditto

You're okay in my book. There's a lot at stake in this election. I too have no time for those that choose to be willfully ignorant/uninterested in the future of our country,

[Island Blue]

3. I agree with you, but I have even less tolerance

for people who intend to vote, but have no frickin' clue 3 weeks out, who they're going to vote for for President of the United States of America. Really? You don't know? You haven't bothered to do a tiny bit of research to figure out who will be the best candidate for the country and for your family? You really don't know the difference between the two candidates? Do us all a favor, DON'T VOTE!

That's my pet peeve.

[Honeycombe8]

14. That's what I think, too. It'd better not to vote than to make an ininformed decision. I follow that

I follow that philosophy, when voting on bond issues and such. Sometimes I just don't know enough about it. If I can't find a source I trust that supports a position on it, and I don't know enough about it, I'll pass that one up.

That's because years ago I voted a certain way on an issue, only to find out later the question had been worded so oddly that a lot of people had misunderstood it (incl. me). I think it was intentionally worded that way; there was much public criticism of the way it was worded. (Guess who worded the issue that way? And in which party's favor?) Still, I found out later that I had voted the opposite of my intention.

[Lightbulb_on]

4. Sounds a bit smug...

[Honeycombe8]

15. Acknowledged. Still, I've spent HOURS on the phone & in emails past yr listening & talking

about the interests and problems of my friends and relatives, interwoven with MY superficial interests and a few problems. It's not like I think I should direct the conversation.

Still, smug alert duly noted.

[Raven]

5. I have friends like that. They wear

their disinterestedness like a badge of honor.

[LovePeacock]

6. My response to folks like that is quite simple: "Oh, so you're one of the stupid people."

[HereSince1628]

7. When I start getting pissed at everyone who refuses to care as much as me...

I know it's again tht time to get serious about my symptom management.

[Upton]

8. Some people are just apolitical..

I know..I live with one. She has very little if any interest in politics, and she has her reasons. Doesn't make her any less of a person, doesn't mean I think any less of her either.

[Kindly Refrain]

9. I feel the same way about people who have no interest

in human rights.

[Quantess]

10. Yes, you guessed it...

they probably do think you are boring and talk too much about politics!
There has to be something you can find that is mutually interesting to talk about. If not, leave them alone until after the election.

[MadHound]

11. Life isn't JUST politics,

And having a full, well balanced life is a healthy life.

Have you ever considered that perhaps these friends and family of yours are simply wanting to escape from politics? After all, this is an election year, and we are all being inundated with politics, on the news, in commercials, driving down the road. I can understand that feeling because we've been swamped with politics for a year now, and it is getting old, real old. I will be happy when the election is over, because, as always, it has become too much.

Have you ever considered that these friends and family of yours aren't talking about politics with you, simply because it is you and you're taking politics far too seriously? You say the way a conversation goes is you talk about this, then you talk about that, but when your relative wants to talk about something else besides politics, you end the conversation. Don't you think that's a bit over the top? Hell, if you did that to me, I frankly wouldn't want to talk politics with you either, hell, I'd be leery of talking with you at all until the election is over.

Have you ever considered that you're far too involved with politics? Yes, it is important, but it is not the be all and end all of our existence. Frankly, it sounds like you're obsessing about it a bit too much. Perhaps you should take a step or two back from it. Obsessing on any one thing, to the exclusion of everything else simply isn't healthy.

[LovePeacock]

12. The OP didn't say it was all politics or nothing. Having a full, well-balanced life

should mean being at least somewhat versed in what's going on in the world. The OP is talking about people who have NO interest in what's going on, in politics AND current events.

[Honeycombe8]

16. No, that conversation I ended...that was the 1st time. We ALWAYS talk about what she wants

to discuss. It's usually about her. She's fairly narcissistic. Any time I bring up, oh...my dogs, my job, politics, anything that involves an interest of mine, she changes the subject. I've gotten fed up with it. So when SHE brought up a minor thing about politics, and I started talking about it, she stopped me to changed the subject (again). So I said I had to go.

You mention the obsessing. Yes, I can get obsessed a bit with things. That's what I was concerned about.

Perhaps I should try not to think about it so much. I'll try to pull back on that. Even let up on responding to emails about politics (I have some political friends who email me).

Thanks for taking the time to give your insight.

[grilled onions]

13. They Cannot Connect The Dots

Some feel politics are FOR politicians and not for anyone else. They do not see how it could ever effect them one way or another. From local politics and your dogs higher priced dog tag to the larger election where we have far too many issues riding on the coat tails of far too many who are more concerned of what's on tv tonight then who is running and what they stand for.
It seems each election gets more important as issues become more personal,corruption grows by leaps and bounds and we have few er younger adults coming up to the plate to fight these issues on the street or in the voting arena.
For many, issues of the day cannot compete with texting,videos and sports. They often do not see the racism that we fought so hard to stop in the sixties rearing it's ugly head again. They do not see that the jobs so easily had in our day are now hard to find and even harder to keep. They do not see how the normal progression of life for young adults was home ownership being chipped away by poor paying jobs,crooked banks doing their best to get that home back into bank ownership etc. They do not see that retirement is something more and more out of reach for almost everyone that is not one of the elite as sandwich parents fight to keep their kids in college while trying to keep parents from being evicted from their own homes or in costly senior housing. They do not see this once wonderful country being used and abused by a certain group who's only dream is to destroy for profit. The non interested do not see that losing our wonderful national parks can be a huge reality if corporate raiders are allowed to drill,cut and dig while overcharging visitors for what's left of the less popular parts of the parks yet see fancy mansions being built in the other.
Today more then ever people should be shutting off their mind numbing tv shows and opening their minds, reading instead of texting and talking instead of staying quiet. WE have ideas--great ideas and we should spread them far and wide. They should should be a wildfire of ideas and goals to rid us of the roadblocks to true democracy and turn this country into a place where everyone can prosper and be whole again and not a private ATM for the 1%.

[Honeycombe8]

18. Some very good thoughts in your head. I wish I could put things so well. Thx. nt

[canoeist52]

17. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest

in YOU" - Pericles This is my answer to that attitude. Every time you shop or pay a bill, politics is in the price you pay.

[Honeycombe8]

20. Exactly.

I have a very sick relative who gets care from Medicaid. She tells me that Medicaid won't pay for this or that. Politics is involved in that, IMO. (she doesn't vote)

I have a brother who retired early with a union pension. He votes Republican. He doesn't care that Republicans want to do away with unions. I see politics as protecting those who come after him.

I have a sister who is a teacher. Need I say more about that? She will retire early, to get away from the assault on teachers. Politics. I have no idea how she votes or if she votes.

My company had a huge layoff in 2009 because of the recession which was caused by deregulation, greed, and the Republican policies of the 2004 administration and Congress. Politics had a lot to do with that.

I see it as directly related to everything that matters to us. That's my curse, I guess.

I'm going to try to focus on some other things these next few weeks. But I cannot help but be interested in politics. I have been ever since I took my first civics course in junior high school. I still remember my teacher describing the Bay of Pigs incident. Weird.

[Waiting For Everyman]

19. I passed that point long ago (to quote a fine Jackson Browne song).

Decades ago I stopped tolerating those who are: stupid and/or clueless, self-absorbed, neurotics, and right-wingers. That weeds out a whole lot of pointless life-wasting nonsense.

And now the quote source...

[RevStPatrick]

21. I have a personal way of dealing with this, and it does NOT make me happy...

...but it helps me cope.
It comes down to this:

I am infinitely more intelligent, worldly and superior than those empty-headed meat-bags who just want to talk about the crap that they own and their petty illnesses and intrigues. I can look down upon them as the child-like vessels of fear and superficiality that they are, and know full well that I am many degrees of magnitude more informed, aware and involved than they are. Some of these people are important to me and my life, and I to theirs, so I can deign to give them small amounts of my time to let them get off their chests a few silly little moments here and there.

Yes, it is very condescending. But I find it works better for me than the alternative.

During the Bush years, I would get mad at people like this. I felt that what was going on was so horrendous and people really needed to be involved and understand what was going on, that I would get mad at people who did not have the capacity to understand what was happening. And that's what it comes down to. These people you are talking about simply do not have the capacity. They don't have enough processing power or RAM in their brains or whatever, to hold an informed decision. Would you get mad at a toaster for not being able to cook a turkey?

You can chose to remove these people from your life, and then you won't have to deal with it anymore. There were a few of those types who I stopped dealing with, because they weren't that important to me and it got too frustrating. There were others for me whom it was impossible to stop dealing with, for whatever reason. My paternalistic, superior attitude has helped ME to deal with them, without upsetting THEM by getting mad at them for being so empty-headed.

I don't like it one bit, but it works for the most part. Your mileage may vary...

[elehhhhna]

22. HEll, I knhwo a 17 y/o cancer survivor who recently was diagnosed as

4 months pregnant with a baby that was dying inside her (probably messed updue to chemo) who had a dilation/extraction. 3 weeks ago. Yesterday she "liked" Romney on facebook.

Romney would like to see her dead, after she delivers a dead baby. Her care is over most insurance caps already.

[OldDem2012]

23. Living in a GOP-heavy state, I don't talk politics with anyone outside this board...

....including my wife who has zero interest in discussing the election and/or politics in general. We've been together for 21 years so I don't guess she's going to change now.

[randome]

24. There are people in the world who live more interesting lives outside politics.

To be honest, I would have to say that nothing in politics has affected me personally for at least 20 years.

Bush's war with Iraq? Didn't affect me. Clinton's oval office affair? No effect.

So I can well imagine there are people who have absolutely no interest in politics or DU or anything outside their own lives.

If you maintain there is a certain level of interest that is MANDATORY for you to think someone is worth your attention, then you should define that level.

And I don't think you can so, while yours was an interesting rant, I don't see that it is a very productive one.

[Honeycombe8]

25. But randome, those things in politics you list, they did affect you personally.

You just choose not to acknowledge them.

The taxes you pay...directly affected by who people voted for in your state legislature and federal Congress, and for President.

Whether you can get an abortion...directly affected by who was elected, since they chose the Supreme Court judges.

Your health care, right now as we speak, has been directly affected by the ACA.

Bush's Iraq War...that indirectly led to the meltdown and contributed significantly to the deficit we now have. Which affects what Congress spends their time on, when they come to an impasse again on the fiscal crisis and budget matters. And what will and will not be funded by the government. Which affects the money given to states. Which affects state funding...which affects maintenance of roads, projects to promote businesses, the maintenance and creation of parks and bike paths.

Everything federal does in fact come down to affect all of us on a local level. Education is a big example. Student loans. All those things were affected by Bush's Iraq War (funding....and time and effort spent by legislators on Iraq that they would have spent on other matters).

Clinton's affair...that affected us all in that all of our federal legislators, as well as the White House, spent millions of dollars in litigation and trying to impeach him, as well as distraction from other more pressing matters.

I suppose I regard an interest in current events as just being aware of the world around you. People who aren't aware of the world around them are lacking in an important part of life, I suppose is my view. None of us is an island. Everything is connected.

I suppose it's also that those people will complain about this or that thing, yet they didn't bother to inform themselves and vote to prevent those things.

It's not like not having an interest in football or tennis or golf or hairstyles or fashion. Those things are not integral to our lives and don't affect us in important ways. They're "interests." Current events are interests, in my view. They are part of the fabric of life.

[IL Lib]

26. Great post n/t

[Zorra]

28. Bush's war didn't affect you? Wow.

[treestar]

27. They will be interested when it affects them

It must be nice to have a life of such ease that you don't have to worry about who gets elected. These are the same people who will cry foul if they run up against a law they don't like, for example. I think individuals like this really and truly believe that the legal system is awaiting them to do their bidding should they trouble it with one of their problems. Then when they find out it is not there to do their bidding, they trash it as corrupt.

Or they will lose their job or have an illness they can't afford. And they will truly believe it unfair to them that they have financial problems, and still think others who have them do because they are lazy.

[KclarkK]

30. I completely agree

o man I am going through this. I am 25 years old I post blogs educating people about things that are going on, things like medicare and SS how its funds are estimated to last until 2034 but disability funds are estimated to run out in the next two years. but no one responds, yet they continue to respond to things like these new fainting challenges kids have started which is completely stupid it is beyond ignorant. if I post something about celebrity drama or some one shaking their behind I would get a number of comments and feed back yet I try and discuss building your credit or even updates on virtual reality world being used to market and real-time ship products to your home or office address and I get nothing.

I have just started a non-profit ResourceCenterNow.com to help encourage educating yourself beyond the things you are use to being around or naturally introduced to. I have gotten a lot of exposure in a small amount of time but getting people to get involved in hopes of exciting their mind s to reach for more than what meets the eye.