It’s time for me to corral my thoughts on the difference between folks that “don’t do politics” and those who “don’t talk about politics”. These are two distinct groups of people, you see.

Bear in mind this will be largely anecdotal, based on my personal experiences.

In its simplest form, the don’t doers are largely unaware of what their indifference does to the population at large. The don’t talkers are more aware, but their feigned reticence masks something different.

For the silent group that doesn’t do: politics absolutely does you. The fact that they are compelled to work and pay bills would indicate this. Every facet of their existence is tethered to these same politics. Don’t make enough money? That is the realization of someone’s political machinations. Bills too high? Same answer as the last one. Crappy health insurance? Most definitely political. We are all trapped here in the USA in a politically motivated capitalist life sucking machine. This group intentionally keeps themselves insulated from the reality of it. Perhaps this gives them some sort of high ground in their unhappy little world?

The don’t talk group on the other hand? That’s their way of dodging having to tell you they are maga conservatives. (Those are the same thing, look around you.) These people have been inculcated to believe that they are superior in some respect to their fellow humans. Whether through religion or other propaganda, the result is the same. They will consistently do things detrimental to themselves. This is driven by the vague understanding that someone they consider beneath them will get help as well.

In much simpler terms, they do not want to share. There are times when I wonder if this is in their genetic makeup. Their behavior is self destructive because they have been groomed since birth to look down upon others. They must win, despite destroying themselves.

I believe two things are major contributors to this. Religion and advertising. Some of you will rankle at that.

Religion tends to teach compassion. At least all of the ones that tried to reel me in. By and large, the words never connect to the deeds. From my personal experiences, this is what they tout as christianity: “Love everyone, but not those people. I share DNA with people who have said this out loud.

Advertising since the end of the second world war has essentially turned everything into a contest. It is a nonstop stream of possess this or you are somehow inferior. You need to own this thing to assert your superiority. 

When you couple those two things, it creates a vicious cycle. You’ve created a population that simultaneously believes they are losers and superior to their peers. They will never admit this to you. They most likely will not admit it to themselves. How can we level the playing field, so to speak? Let’s address some commonalities.

One thing I have noticed is that these folks are not readers. They are the ones who proudly answer zero when asked how many books they read last year. Another angle are those folks who tell you they won’t read a book unless someone forces them to. This is not the flex anyone thinks it is.

Which is a good indicator that they stopped their pursuit of knowledge as soon as someone stopped forcing them to. To complicate this even more: I have encountered dozens of folks over the years that tried to wear skipping or sleeping compulsory education as some badge of honor. (If you’re on campus at old Kenyon during the school year, you’ve met some of them.)

The part that is really daunting? I have yet to come up with a way to reach those don’t talkers. Any helpful hints? I have just about abandoned all hope of making any headway with them.