We hear the word “politics” being spoken every day. It is something that surrounds us in every single aspect of our life, it is something that is impossible to escape from. Merely existing in a society involves, to a certain extent, having an interest in politics: companies and businesses, taxation, public services, health, education, transport, justice, our rights, our obligations... The dependence of our life on politics is the constant fuel that pushes us to have the need to understand politics.
But, what is politics? Before being able to discuss politics, it is obviously vital to understand what it is. It is such a complex concept, evolving since the day humanity was born, changing with time and space factors. Politics - is it an art? Is it a science? I believe that not everyone would have the same answer to this question. Oxford provides a quick overview by defining it as “the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power”. I believe it could be explained further, as a struggle, a constant state of seeking equilibrium among the ways to manage each of the multiple facets of society. And this struggle is in the service of aiming for higher life standards of, and for, people. It could somehow be expressed as the aim to reach the unreachable utopia. That's why politics is so beautiful. It has the simplest motivation ingrained deeply at the core of it, of wanting society to be as perfect as it can be; but also encapsulates the most complicated definition of perfection there is, as everybody has different ways of thinking, motivations and beliefs, and all of them have to be taken into account in one single system.
My interest in politics actually began not too long ago. I have always had this concern and curiosity about society, global issues, and contemporary history, as well as a lot of reactions and small debates when talking to family and friends about these topics. Once I became a legal adult and my country held general elections, I realized that all these issues actually construct one single concept, which had a name: politics. All my thoughts and my ideas were building up my political beliefs. Not too long after this discovery, I understood that my opinion is important. So is yours! We have the responsibility to be conscious of our beliefs in order to be responsible for our actions and the impact of them on others and the environment around us. Even if our opinion is thrown into the vast pool of opinions where everybody can argue and defend their opinions and consequently present them as the truth, we must flip the coin and realize this is actually the fun thing in politics! There is no right answer.
One important thing I’ve learnt throughout this whole experience is that, to build up our own beliefs, it is important to listen first. Learn new things, hear out new points of view, be open-minded but remember to implement critical thinking, learn how to say “I don’t know” or “I don’t know enough”, and be open to new perspectives that might change our minds. We must consider the opinions of others before starting to defend our own, because with the fortune we have of having the right to freedom of speech, the speech we produce shouldn’t be a piece of gibberish with no logical reasoning within the arguments. Instead, it should be our tool to break through the silence and make an impact on our lives. To express our thoughts, to defend our opinions, and to fight to make the world a better place. That’s what we should be striving for. And what else is politics but a tool to achieve exactly that?
As citizens of not only our own country, but of the world, we must all reflect about and debate politics. It is our duty, and our voice is necessary. We represent our beliefs, and if we believe in making the world a better place, it can only happen by speaking up, speaking loud, speaking proud, and speaking politics.
Absolutely amazing piece of work. Keep it up guys !