Politics matter, but politics can't come first. If politics come first in your life, something is wrong with you. It's a sad thing.
Interpretation
Politics should be secondary to fundamental values and personal well-being.
In this quote, Ben Sasse emphasizes that while politics is important in society, it should not dominate one's life or identity. Prioritizing politics above all else can lead to a misguided life, missing out on deeper, more meaningful aspects of existence such as personal values, relationships, and well-being.
In practice
During a lecture on civic responsibility, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of maintaining balance in life.
Among the responsibilities of each citizen in a participatory democracy is keeping ourselves sufficiently informed so that we can participate effectively, argue our positions honorably, and hopefully, forge sufficient consensus to understand each other and then to govern.
Becoming a reader grows our horizons, our appetite for the good, the true and the beautiful, and our empathy.
The health of our republic depends on shared principles like the First Amendment, but it is also built on the Teddy Roosevelt-like vigor of its citizens and local self-reliance.
Being stuck in adolescence - that's a hell. 'Peter Pan' is a dystopia, and we forget that. Neverland is a bad place to be.
Rising political tribalism, shamelessly exaggerating our opponents' claims or behavior, is leaving us vulnerable: No one loves America's internal fighting - and our increasingly siloed news consumption - more than Vladimir Putin.
Good history is good story-telling. And good story-telling demands empathy; it requires understanding different actors, differing motivations, competing goals.
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important.
I considered 4 of these bills [of the revised code of Virginia] as forming a system by which every fibre would be eradicated of antient or future aristocracy; and a foundation laid for a government truly republican.
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
When facism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the American flag.
My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance.
I have never voted. Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics. Like most people I regard politicians as frauds and liars and the current political system as nothing more than a bureaucratic means for furthering the augmentation and advantages of economic elites.
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