Politics can make people miserable, but you don’t need to allow that to happen. You don’t want politics to be your identity or your religion. Several friends who have read The Negativity Fast have sent me notes to inform me they are ready to be post-political.
Politics consumes too much of many people’s attention, and because our politics today is all about conflict instead of consensus, it is inherently negative.
How We Got Here: News Media
If one were to trace back to the time when politics required hating half of the population of the United States, you could start in 1996. In that year, Fox News went live, followed by MSNBC; CNN already had Crossfire. This new business model was designed to acquire one end of the political extreme, leaving the other for another network.
At one point in the history of the United States, everyone watched the same news, namely Walter Cronkite. At that time, the news media reported the news. What we have now is not the facts, but instead a set of facts designed to outrage the audience. To make sure there are good guys and bad guys, each of these networks invites a person who is counter to the network’s political bent to ensure that the audience gets the enemy and the conflict they need.
During the pandemic, a person I know removed their parents from their Facebook friends. Unfriending your parents is an indication that you are far too political. Your relationships should never be harmed because someone else doesn’t share your politics.
The Impact of Social Media
Thomas Jefferson expressed the importance of an educated populace for the well-being of a democratic society. In a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, dated January 6, 1816, Jefferson wrote, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
Adding to the corrosive impact of the news media, we accelerate this negativity through social media. The propaganda finds its way to social media, with each of the two political opinions providing the talking points for the question of the day. If propaganda does anything, it creates ignorance. Winston Churchill suggested that a large part of propaganda is what isn’t said, and the news media and social media carefully determine what they leave out.
Both parties hide anything that might make the other side seem at all rational. When you are missing information, you are ignorant. The coarser our society becomes, the more ignorant we become, as we are not being provided both sides of the story. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher, said, “If you know only one side of your case, you know little of that.”
The Systematic Organization of Hatreds
“Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds.” This quote is taken from his work “The Education of Henry Adams,” published in 1907. Adams was a descendant of two Presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
If one would wish to be more negative more of the time, hating other people for their politics will do the trick. Hating someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Every four years, people increase their arguing about who should be our president, at home, at work, at the gym, or at a birthday dinner for a family member.
Hate is something heavy to carry around with you. You and your neighbor, the one with the wrong political sign in the front yard, each are allowed one vote. Hate is a powerful emotion, but what you may not know is that it can harm your physical and mental health.
On Becoming Post-Political
I made the decision not to pay so much attention to politics. I haven’t watched news or cable news for decades. I decided to ensure I am positive, optimistic, future-oriented, and to have friends across the political continuum left, right, or middle.
I also refuse to argue politics with anyone. When two people argue about politics, neither is going to change the other person’s political beliefs. I also don’t feel threatened by another person’s politics.
Some friends worry they will miss some important news when something happens, but this is no reason not to be post-political. You can be certain if anything happens, the people who watch the news will bring it to your attention, ensuring you can be as negative and as upset as they are.
I like The Economist, as it is not trying to divide me from my neighbors. But after avoiding the worst of politics, I am never triggered, even though I am often concerned about the state of the world and increasingly our political divisiveness.
Getting Started on Becoming Post-Political
First, know that you don’t have to change your political beliefs. You should read about the candidates and their positions and vote. Don’t spend time and energy on things about which you have no control.
Second, remove all the negative sources of political negativity. Because politics is so negative, you will feel better after turning it down. There is science that suggests being overly political can harm you by making you negative and angry.
Third, no matter what, don’t argue with other people about politics, especially not your family members, and more so, never the woman who gave birth to you. You can always bow out of a political argument by saying, “You seem to know a lot more about this than I do. I’ll have to investigate this sometime.”
You should love your country more than your party. Our democracy is supposed to prevent violence, but over the past couple of years, there has been more violence than is acceptable in the oldest constitutional democracy on planet Earth.
If you want to be less negative and more positive, pick up a copy of The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success, where you will find a dozen science-backed strategies that will help you be more positive.
