Tell Giselle: Encourage adulting

“A much younger friend has asked me for advice concerning politics. They are undecided whether or not they want to participate in politics at all. This year is their first opportunity to vote.

“Do you think it is best for me to persuade them to vote for their own interests, and point some out, or should teens be considering what many would see as concerns for a larger population? The buzzword of the moment, democracy, or agendas that focus on the underprivileged, identity politics and culture war topics are likely to come up. Or should I focus on trustworthiness and integrity?”

G: At the top of my list of things that matter most when it comes to voting would be accurate information. I would request they come to any discussion with you, or with others they trust, with at least some preparation. Making the effort to become informed helps ensure an inspired conversation. That discussion may lead them to register to vote and actually cast a ballot.

I think it is a natural default for many people to rely on the opinions of those we trust, or even the editorial endorsement from the newspaper we regard as most aligned with our own positions. But this is terribly inadequate for good governance.

That shortcut is as if one were to read the CliffsNotes on a major literary work. Sure, you’ll get the gist of the narrative, but do you really understand the complexity of the work? Not especially. So it is with politics.

It takes way more than seeing whether a candidate is in your party camp, or reading the summary positions on a candidate’s website or door handle card, to make fully informed choices. What you get is an overview, so you may not really know enough details of their past and present experiences and behaviors. As important, where relevant, is their previous voting record, and any defense of it, from source material, not just soundbites or headlines.

I suggest you begin by keeping things simple. Explain that none of us will ever have enough information to know that our vote will get us what we really want, as there are so many other people in Congress and outside those halls that have their thumbs on the outcome scale.

Emphasize that candidates present us with their own wish list, that we may hope can be realized. But as history has shown, promises are one thing, delivering on them is another story. What a candidate’s platform can help reveal is whether or not they are looking at their role in the way you want them to regard that job.

This column is not about advising anyone on who they should vote for or against, or what issues are the ones to be most energized over. Try looking at each and everyone’s actions with as objective an eye as possible. Whether it be with one’s employment, one’s personal relationships, or one’s political and religious affiliations, use your open mind and heart to seek the truth as much as sincerity.

I research who candidates are now, and who they seem to want to aspire to become. I’m looking for growth opportunities in every encounter or experience they have had. Politics helps us to see political candidates as either a reflection of the highest manifestation of spiritual understanding, or somewhere lower on the rung.

Politics is also a way for us to judge fellow citizens, as much as it is a chance for us to get real with ourselves. Public policy stances we are presented with can drive us to examine why any of us believe and behave as we do. To that end, two wise minds offer a type of insight that is applicable to a variety of situations, including politics:

Grouch Marx purportedly said something along the lines of him not wanting to be a member of any club that would have him as a member. I think this sentiment may account for some of the rise in Independent and Non-Affiliated voters. They comprise the largest block.

And Einstein purportedly said we cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking that created it. Thus change, or the desire for change, to effect solutions will always be a strong motivator for many non-Einsteins who are voting this year.

A page from my spiritual playbook that I use for politics requires that I take into consideration many factors. I do not believe it is wise to vote “selfishly”, nor wise to disproportionally elevate others needs/desires. A balance is to be struck, one that requires navigating the finest line of discernment. That is attained through due diligence. It’s a lengthy process allowing for all to come to their politics organically, with peace of mind, regardless of outcomes.

Encourage your friend to look inward, and outward, to acquire facts, not just opinions. Armed with solid knowledge, they can assess if a candidate is deserving of the trust and the power that comes with elected positions and see that some are more deserving than others. They may then realize it makes sense to participate in adulting by voting.