Politics and Elections
I reflect on the recent general election, that will determine the fate of our country for several generations.
Hey readers 👋
It’s been an eventful week as the British public headed to the polls to vote in the most significant general election of our generation. It resulted in an overwhelming conservative majority - the largest since the 1935 general election.
This vote almost certainly means that Brexit will happen.
Speaking to people about the general election, it quickly became apparent to me about how misinformed the UK public is when it comes to politics and elections. People get very angry or defensive when asked to articulate their reasoning for voting as they did.
An overwhelming majority of people were voting for parties because of a single policy, and not taking the party manifesto as a whole into account.
“I just want Brexit done.”
“Save our NHS.”
“I don’t want Corbyn as the Prime Minister.”
“Jo Swinson doesn’t inspire me.”
It’s not for me to judge whether those are valid or not valid reasons to vote for a specific candidate/party. But it’s clear, better education for the public on political matters (including political history) is required and needs to be taught. It’s something the government must introduce in our schools, as part of the curriculum.
I’ll keep away from politics in future issues.
Featured Article
The featured post this week is an earlier article, prompting you to stop making excuses and to take action for the things you’ve been wanting to do.
I discuss how people disguise excuses as perfectly sound logic - they’ve rationalised the excuse to justify their inaction.
Making this distinction is vital in understanding when you’re just making excuses, motivating you into action.
Enjoy.
Samuel Ajayi-Obe
Tweet
My favourite tweet over the past week.
People who have things going well in their lives rarely become haters.
— LifeMathMoney (@LifeMathMoney) July 22, 2019
This Week's Wisdom
“The state in which you start your day shapes your state of mind for the entire day.”
- Martin Meadows, in the book: How to Relax
I use readwise to resurface content I've previously highlighted. My followers can get an extra month for free by following this link.
Every Sunday, I write a lesson I wished I had learned 10 years earlier, to feed our brains with intelligent content to start our week.
I also share interesting articles, book quotes, and the occasional speech or TED talk to help us all get smarter, wiser, and live better.
I follow my curiosity at SamuelObe.com
If you’re reading this but aren’t a subscriber, sign up below, it’s easy!
Subscribe below to receive new post updates the minute they are published. You will also receive my weekly newsletter, where I share interesting articles, books, quotes and lessons that I have learnt during the past week.