Playing Politics: An Inevitable Part of Life

 I was looking up the meaning of "playing politics" and found several definitions:

• Using a situation or the relationships between people for your own advantage.
• Saying or doing things for political reasons instead of doing what is right or what is best for others.
• Dealing with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way.
• Acting for political or personal gain rather than from principle.

We often hear about office politics, home politics, and politics in various associations. When politics is involved, it creates an unpleasant environment, and if you're there, you might need to engage in politics to survive, as the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." We often claim we don't indulge in politics and stay away from those who do. In the Indian context, we even go so far as to say politicians are Homo sapiens but of a different breed, not to be trusted at all.

Let's delve into our own experiences to see how we have engaged in politics at different times in our lives. According to the definition, we all play politics at some point, even if we claim otherwise.

Think back to early childhood. To get something they want, children might switch sides and then revert once they get what they want. During school days, siblings often compete, and the one who gets the upper hand might give a knowing wink. To avoid punishment, one might make a scapegoat of a companion, blaming them for being late or for a fight. As teenagers, we start associating with groups to gain an edge, forming cliques to support our views and take advantage of situations. While building a career, during appraisals or when trying to get noticed, we might take credit or push a colleague aside to score points with those who matter. In families, we witness relationships becoming cozy or sour within certain groups.

Knowingly or unknowingly, we've had to engage in politics at different stages of life, which probably cannot be avoided. If this becomes a habit and leads to harming others, we label those individuals as politicians. Most of us are pushed to play politics when there is no other alternative. How we handle these situations depends on the strength of our personality and our decision to use this "weapon" of politics. It is like using insecticide to kill insects: both can harm us, but sometimes we are forced to choose the lesser evil, and only in a limited way.

I firmly believe that the world is dominated by good people, but sometimes playing politics cannot be avoided. Hence, the percentage of politicians is very minimal, but we can check them. Unfortunately, just as good people dominate, bad politicians also dominate amdong breed called Politicians.