Is it upon us all to remain constantly informed and politically active, or is it okay to remain apolitical sometimes?
As an aspiring life coach, I used to think that treating individuals was enough and that politics did not have to inform this path.
However, after subsequent years of remaining apolitical, I realised how unfair it would be to treat individuals without understanding their socioeconomic contexts. I was bathing in my apolitical privilege, but the truth is that in almost every area of life, whether it be person-to-person care, the environment, or even laying bricks, the political conditions always have a way of seeping in.
Therefore, my answer to this question is a tentative yes, BUT…
Don’t go into combat without training
For me, this is part of the reason I have been so wary and still remain wary of sharing my political ideas. Ideas are contagious. If you go out there and start spreading uninformed opinions, you may unwittingly start a social disease.
This is why I believe that if you are going to be politically and socially active, you need to remain as informed as possible. Learn as much as you can, keep up with the news and please, think for yourself.
Time and capitalism
Many of us lead incredibly busy lives under a capitalistic economy, especially those in lower classes.
The lower class makes up a large part of most populations. Many of these groups are validly angry, but this anger, combined with lower levels of education, lead them to being more vulnerable to politics of personality – which can lead them to extremist and self-harming measures.
I am by no means saying that lower classes should not be listened to, but this does present a systemic problem. We definitely need more educational initiatives targeted towards these groups.
The best I can come up with at this point is that if you find yourself in a privileged position, do all you can to remain informed, share your opinions humbly, and if possible, try to educate and reach out a hand to those who are less fortunate.
Dayna Remus