People often mistakenly believe that totalitarian societies bar citizens from participating in politics. The opposite, of course, is true. Totalitarians — communists, fascists, it doesn’t really make a difference — compel citizens to place politics at the center of their lives. Culture, sports, literature, faith, and science are all subjugated to prevailing ideological orthodoxy. Voting isn’t banned in these places, it’s mandatory.

Now, I’m not saying we live in a totalitarian state or anything resembling one — at least, not yet. For some unfathomable reason, we’ve chosen to impose the bleak, corrupt, intolerant, immoral, graceless tyranny of politics on our everyday lives.