I really hate to say it, especially since I’m on so many South Dakota political blog rolls all of a sudden, but I really don’t like talking about politics.
Whoops. My readership just went down 74%.
I’ve got my reasoning. My main hang-up is more of a self-conscious twitch than a true aversion: I don’t like to enter myself into situations where I’m not ready to answer every question that comes at me. For this reason I usually stay away from political discussions whenever possible, preferring to silently stew about whichever uninformed opinion I’ve just heard.
It’s not an uncommon thing, I think. I’ve grown up with the realization that in order to make headway in a serious conversation, you have to at least give the image of knowing what you’re talking about. I’m not saying I don’t know what I’m talking about – I’d consider myself as well educated and up-to-date as the next person – but I have certain anxieties about having a heated discussion on the BRAC committee and suddenly finding myself without an answer, to which someone from South Dakota Politics would say “ha! I always knew you were a no talent hack!”
This is a little of an exaggeration, to be sure, but it’s a true feeling all the same. I’d love to rebut some of these “Intelligent Design” theories, but I’m not quite confident enough to enter into that realm. I could go on at length about why I don’t trust the Bush administration, but I don’t have the hard facts to back it up, and I certainly can’t match the fire and desire that some of our liberal brethren have cooked up.
I guess ultimately it all comes down to the confidence needed to argue convincingly. I have my opinions, but I’ve never felt confident in my reasoning to warrant them argue-worthy. Unimportant stuff, like professional basketball and the relevance of next-generation console-gaming, I can argue at length with anyone about, but this important “life as we know it” crap I just can’t wrap the discussion-oriented parts of my mind around.
I know it sounds whiny and horrible, but really I just don’t want to sound stupid. So I leave myself out of the situations. It’s a coward’s way out, and I’ll never become anything without standing up for something. Still, it’s not easy to overcome.
Someone help me argue, please. Then the blogosphere might take me a little more seriously.
Don’t feel bad that you question your knowledge on “Intelligent Design” theory. It’s a bloody theory. I’ve come to this stance of politics: I’m simply not voting for anybody who has anything to gain from lame political topics. “Intelligent Design”, “Gay Rights”, “Abortion”, blah blah blah and so on. I know those topics mean a lot to many people, even myself, but it gets in the way of what I feel are more important issues that seem to fizzle out once some senator says abortion. We need better education, health care, job security, and so on. Those topics are none of the govt. business to begin with, and they should do there job and help support everybody as a whole and not one particular demographic(s).
I don’t question my knowledge on “Intelligent Design” — I know how I feel about it. It’s my ability to argue about it that’s the issue; the ability to prove my point and not cower in fear when someone calls me out on something. I’m too afraid to sound uninformed, regardless of how informed I actually am.