Category: Social Issues
Why Being Apolitical Is Actually Harming You
Introduction
A lot of people avoid politics because it feels confusing or like it does not affect them. They stay out of it because they think politics is boring or irrelevant. But politics affects everyday life. Ignoring politics is like signing a contract without reading it, only to find out later that you agreed to things that hurt your rights or privacy. If you stay apolitical, others make decisions about your life without your input.
Wealth and Power Decide Who Gets Heard
Politics is not equal for everyone. Research shows that economic inequality reduces political participation and representation for lower-income groups (Gilens, 2012). People with more money and resources are more likely to take part in campaigns and influence decisions, while people with less money face barriers to participation. When most people stay silent, a small group of wealthy, connected individuals steer decisions about public life. Staying apolitical allows powerful groups to make decisions without accountability.
Knowing How Politics Works Protects You
Understanding politics does not require a degree. It means knowing how decisions are made, understanding how laws affect your life, and learning how to protect your interests. Political literacy helps you recognise when policies will harm your community or when someone is misleading you (Galston, 2001). Without it, the system can easily leave you behind.
Humanitarian Crises: Why You Should Care
“It is not happening to me, so why should I care?” Many ignore wars, displacement, famine, or state violence because it feels far away. This view is self-centred. You are closer to being in their position than you are to being a millionaire. Most people live one job loss, illness, natural disaster, or political decision away from instability. Refugees and displaced people were ordinary people with jobs, families, routines, and plans (UNHCR, 2020). The difference between you and them is circumstance and policy, not character or effort. Choosing not to care because you are not suffering now allows harm to continue unchecked. Politics decides who receives aid, who is protected by law, and whose suffering is ignored. Silence helps those in power, not those at risk. Caring is not about guilt or virtue. It is about recognising how fragile stability is and how quickly anyone can fall through the cracks when systems fail or refuse to act.
How Different Identities Affect Experience
Some people face more challenges because of race, gender, class, disability, or other aspects of identity. These factors do not affect life separately. They interact in ways that create unique disadvantages. This idea is called intersectionality. Scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced it to show why laws and policies that address only one type of discrimination often fail to protect people facing multiple forms at once (Crenshaw, 1989). Intersectionality helps us see that inequality comes from overlapping systems of power. Policies that ignore these overlaps can leave people out or even worsen harm (Collins, 2000).
Why Participation Matters
Engaging in politics matters. When people vote, speak up, join community meetings, or take part in civic life, leaders pay attention. Staying silent makes governments and institutions listen more to those with wealth and influence (Verba et al., 1995). Being active does not mean debating on television. Simple steps, like learning how local decisions affect you, talking to neighbours, or voting, are important ways to make your voice heard.
References
- Collins, P.H. (2000) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. 2nd edn. New York: Routledge.
- Crenshaw, K. (1989) ‘Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex’, University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), pp. 139–167.
- Galston, W.A. (2001) ‘Political Knowledge, Political Engagement, and Civic Education’, Annual Review of Political Science, 4(1), pp. 217–234.
- Gilens, M. (2012) Affluence and Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in America. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- UNHCR (2020) Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2020.
- Verba, S., Schlozman, K.L. and Brady, H.E. (1995) Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.