---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that politics in most people's…"
description: "\"I think that politics in most people's lives expresses itself like that: indirectly, in half thought-out opinions and feelings. And sometimes through a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg"
---

#  I think that politics in most people's lives expresses…

![“I think that politics in most people's lives expresses itself like that: indirectly, in half thought-out opinions and feelings. And sometimes through a connection with something that is very real. But we don't have the knowledge or language to speak about it.” quote by Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg)

> “I think that politics in most people's lives expresses itself like that: indirectly, in half thought-out opinions and feelings. And sometimes through a connection with something that is very real. But we don't have the knowledge or language to speak about it.”

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often express political views indirectly, through vague feelings and limited language, lacking precise articulation.

**In simple terms:** Political thoughts are vague and hard to articulate.

Key Takeaway

Seek clearer language for political ideas.

Themes

politics communication self-awareness

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- personal conversations
- public debates
- media commentary

Key Concepts

cognitive bias social perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we better articulate complex political feelings?
- What language tools help clarify political opinions?

A Different Perspective

Political nuance can be lost in casual talk.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Dropping of the atomic bomb was the main subject of conversation for many years and so people had very strong feelings about it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/dropping-of-the-atomic-bomb-was-the-main-subject-of-conversation-for/)

[Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/)

> [If you think of politics as 'serious people focusing seriously on the most important questions,' which is the default mode of most educated people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/if-you-think-of-politics-as-serious-people-focusing-seriously-on-the/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [“Dogs are not our playthings. They are sentient beings with their own opinions and feelings. We expect them to fit into our lives, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverley-courtney/dogs-are-not-our-playthings-they-are-sentient-beings-with-their-own/)

Beverley Courtney

> [...for whether we want to or not, we belong to our time and we share in its opinions, its feelings, even its delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/for-whether-we-want-to-or-not-we-belong-to-our-time-and-we-share-in/)

[Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/)

> [“You know, Savannah...” He nudges my face against his throat, and I inhale him. “You can spend however much time you want trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunniva-dee/you-know-savannah-he-nudges-my-face-against-his-throat-and-i-inhale/)

Sunniva Dee

> [“And, like all female creatures, you form your opinions by your feelings. Well, hope for your thrilling career--but remember that if there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/and-like-all-female-creatures-you-form-your-opinions-by-your-feelings/)

[L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/)

> [“You have to accept that sometimes that's how things happen in this world. People's opinions, their feelings, they go one way, then the other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/you-have-to-accept-that-sometimes-that-s-how-things-happen-in-this/)

[Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/)

> [Being in love is like making one big heart out of two people. Two people with two opinions and two sets of feelings, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-paulsen/being-in-love-is-like-making-one-big-heart-out-of-two-people-two/)

Lindsey Paulsen

> [He was of an impressible nature, and lived a great deal in other people's opinions and feelings concerning himself...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/he-was-of-an-impressible-nature-and-lived-a-great-deal-in-other/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [I don't have an opinion about whether or not politics should appear more in fiction or not, generally. I think politics are a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-don-t-have-an-opinion-about-whether-or-not-politics-should-appear/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [I think politics are a part of life, so I have no resistance to it, but it's not something I set out to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-politics-are-a-part-of-life-so-i-have-no-resistance-to-it-but/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [In politics people build whole reputations off of getting one thing right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/in-politics-people-build-whole-reputations-off-of-getting-one-thing/)

[Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/)

> [“In one of her letters she writes: Some have questioned the appropriateness of talking about such matters as metta (loving-kindness) and thissa (truth) in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/in-one-of-her-letters-she-writes-some-have-questioned-the/)

[Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/)

> [In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-religion-and-politics-people-s-beliefs-and-convictions-are-in/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Our modern world of old story is completely failing humanity. This is the reason that increasing numbers of people have become and are becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kumar/our-modern-world-of-old-story-is-completely-failing-humanity-this-is/)

[Satish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kumar/)

## More by Mary Gaitskill

> [“I carry love wrapped in pain. That is my treasure and soon it will be yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-carry-love-wrapped-in-pain-that-is-my-treasure-and-soon-it-will-be/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [“God famously doesn't afflict Job because of anything Job has done, but because he wants to prove a point to Satan. Twenty years later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/god-famously-doesn-t-afflict-job-because-of-anything-job-has-done-but/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [When you're writing a story, you're creating something of an artificial ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-you-re-writing-a-story-you-re-creating-something-of-an/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [Partly, I'm worried that no one is saying anything because they are afraid of being seen as politically correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/partly-i-m-worried-that-no-one-is-saying-anything-because-they-are/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [ “...loading your brain with subliminal messages… How loathsome to turn a sadistic murder into entertainment \[in the newspaper\] -- and yet how hard not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/loading-your-brain-with-subliminal-messages-how-loathsome-to-turn-a/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [ “The place Joanne is building inside \[herself\] has rooms for all of this. Not just rooms. Beautiful ones. For Karl and Jerry and Karen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/the-place-joanne-is-building-inside-herself-has-rooms-for-all-of-this/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [“Valiantly, he tried to bring his soul to life in the small thing through which it had to live, and it was crushed, again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/valiantly-he-tried-to-bring-his-soul-to-life-in-the-small-thing/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [The best definition I've heard is that guilt is about what you've done, shame is about who you are. If something's out of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/the-best-definition-i-ve-heard-is-that-guilt-is-about-what-you-ve/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [When my first book came out, it was very disorienting. My health went south. I didn't know how to relate to people. I thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-my-first-book-came-out-it-was-very-disorienting-my-health-went/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [When he held her that way, she felt so happy that it disturbed her. After he left, it would take her hours to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-he-held-her-that-way-she-felt-so-happy-that-it-disturbed-her/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [“But life can give a lot. If you can’t see inside the heart no matter how you look, then why not look? Why not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/but-life-can-give-a-lot-if-you-can-t-see-inside-the-heart-no-matter/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [Sexuality is a place where people are very vulnerable and can be experiencing and embodying very raw forces that they don't really understand and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/sexuality-is-a-place-where-people-are-very-vulnerable-and-can-be/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [I focus more on the spiritual or psychic gains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-focus-more-on-the-spiritual-or-psychic-gains/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [“When boys get angry with each other, they just fight it out and it's all over. But girls are dirty. They pretend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/when-boys-get-angry-with-each-other-they-just-fight-it-out-and-it-s/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [I think, life is miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-life-is-miserable/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

[Explore all 87 Mary Gaitskill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

## More Feelings quotes

> [I have a strong feeling about this quick movement and changing of society and populations growing - something scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-this-quick-movement-and-changing-of/)

[Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [We never realize the importance of any our action until we be the hunt of same situation in reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadi/we-never-realize-the-importance-of-any-our-action-until-we-be-the/)

[Fadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadi/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/)

[Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/)

> [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [If someone really loves you, no matter how many other people they meet, their feelings for you wouldn't change. A real lover cant be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-really-loves-you-no-matter-how-many-other-people-they-meet/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/)

[J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [Good girls don't hurt other people's feelings. Good girls are not overly aggressive, competitive, or boastful. Good girls please others. But what good girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jane-gilman/good-girls-don-t-hurt-other-people-s-feelings-good-girls-are-not/)

[Susan Jane Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jane-gilman/)

> [You will never fully understand how much you mean to me, because there are no amount of words that can begin to describe my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-fully-understand-how-much-you-mean-to-me-because-there/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

[Browse all 21,172 Feelings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think that politics in most people's lives expresses itself like that: indirectly, in half thought-out opinions and feelings. And sometimes through a connection with something that is very real. But we don't have the knowledge or language to speak about it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mary Gaitskill"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-lives-expresses-itself-like/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Feelings"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-lives-expresses-itself-like/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/mary-gaitskill-7551_feelings_i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-l_2732729.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think that politics in most people's lives expresses itself like that: indirectly, in half thought-out…” — Mary Gaitskill",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mary Gaitskill",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think that politics in most...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-lives-expresses-itself-like/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/i-think-that-politics-in-most-people-s-lives-expresses-itself-like/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
