My Thoughts on Being "Apolitical"
5/5/26
As I begin this blog, I want to first address the importance of remaining well-educated and being involved in politics. I've heard many people say, "I'm apolitical" or "I'm not into politics." I've often been confused about what these statements truly mean and what people intend their message to be when saying such phrases.
From my understanding, people tend to say these things when the conversation starts mentioning politics, and they get uncomfortable. Alternatively, I've also noticed that people who are not as well-informed may say something like this to avoid saying something they may not mean on a topic they're not knowledgeable about.
So, what does "politics" mean exactly? What is to be implied when someone says they're not interested in politics? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "politics" as "the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing government policy."1 Therefore, people interested in politics, following this definition, are interested in the affairs of the government and the policies they propose to the people living under that government.
Why? Well, the policies the government proposes directly affect the people of that nation: how you work, live, spend money, etc. You might wonder then, "why wouldn't someone show interest in politics and government policy?" The common answer to this question? Privilege.
A white person is not directly affected by racist policy. A man is not directly affected by misogyny. A straight cisgender person is not directly affected by homophobia and transphobia. And the rich often do not need to worry about the working class. Human greed and selfishness often lead to privileged people ignoring the problems of their fellow citizens.
However, what the privileged don't know is that while harmful government policy doesn't directly take away their human rights, they are also harmed by racism, misogyny, and homophobia. These systemic issues harm society as a whole. Racial discrimination negatively impacts the policing, immigration, and judicial systems, as well as access to healthcare and education. The patriarchy and its internalized misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia negatively impact a society's psychological development, mental health, workforce, economy, and access to education and healthcare.
Does this mean that a person of privilege should care about politics solely based on the belief that these issues will affect them eventually, whether directly or indirectly? No! In fact, you should care about politics simply because other people are suffering. Empathy should be enough to push you to care.
But it's also important to recognize that these issues affect us all in one way or another. Why? Because the people in power want privileged people to think they are benefiting over minorities, they want to divide the people. In reality, it's not left vs right, but us vs the people on top.
This is the time, more than ever, when we need to stick together and protect our fellow neighbors. This is definitely not the time to "stay out of politics." In fact, if you try to ignore what's going on around you, you'll eventually find the sword pointed at you instead.
As Martin Niemöller once wrote,
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
Don't finally decide to take a side and get involved when it's too late. Read, stay informed, check on your family, friends, and neighbors, and spread the word. At this very moment, people are suffering, and they need your voice and support more than ever.
Sources:
"Politics." Merriam-Webster, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics. Accessed 5 Feb, 2026.
"Racial Justice." Amnesty International, 2025, https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/discrimination/racial-justice/. Accessed 5 Feb, 2026.
Gupta, Mayank et al. “Critical Overview of Patriarchy, Its Interferences With Psychological Development, and Risks for Mental Health.” Cureus vol. 15,6 e40216. 10 Jun. 2023, doi:10.7759/cureus.40216
"How Homophobia Hurts Us All." Vancouver Island University, 2026, https://adm.viu.ca/positive-space/how-homophobia-hurts-us-all. Accessed 5 Feb, 2026.