Why I don't discuss politics on social media:

Short answer...because I am an elitist.

I can explain, but you probably won't like it.

Buckle up, Buttercup.

I have no problem discussing politics under certain circumstances, like, if you're smart and open-minded. If you're not, you are either a waste of my time, or a waste of yours. From my perspective, there are certain logistical considerations, also. Allow me to walk through them with you.

Who reads my posts? My friends. Collectively, my friends are well above average in intelligence, so, if I were to write my political opinion about a topic, the readers are likely to be above average. Unfortunately, my friends also tend to be kind; kind to others, including stupid people. Without my draconian elitism, my friends might inadvertently share my opinion with stupid people. That is exactly where the problem comes in: when, precisely, do we add the first idiot to the discussion? If you can pinpoint that very moment, exactly, and magically delete my post 5 seconds earlier, oh what a joy social media would be!

(I pause for a chuckle at the almost-smart person catching a glimpse of my text disappearing before their very eyes! Bwahahaha!).

You may ask: why are stupid people a problem? Don't they deserve to be heard and educated? In short, no and no. Deserve to be heard? No, smart people endeavor to engage their brains BEFORE they engage their mouths, (or keyboards). I want intelligent conversation with people that have something to offer. I want to learn, I want to welcome new perspectives and consider things I have not considered before. The same old nattering from CNN or Fox News interests me not at all. I know the party line, an idiot's reinforcement is not appreciated. Deserve to be educated? Perhaps, but not by me. My pay comes in terms of your unique perspective. Without that, if you learn from me, you owe me $5. One never improves his chess game by constantly battling halfwits.

I guess I really didn't answer the question. More to the point, stupid people cheapen the conversation, dragging it down to their level. Yuck. If you waste my time with remedial discussion, we'll never get to truly challenging topics--the kind of thing that would actually keep me from slipping into an intellectual torpor (that leads to decline and Alzheimer's, [personal opinion]). There is an old adage: "Children should be seen, not heard." Have you ever wondered why that was? Buttercup, I'll tell you: it's because kids are stupid. When adults are talking, kids, like stupid people have nothing to offer and their lot in life would be greatly improved by them closing their mouths and opening their ears.

You know, one of the most insidious aspects of social media: it makes you think you are smarter than you are. The proof is everywhere. You know this to be true, and I will readily admit, I am not impervious to it. (I hate myself for it; I must remain vigilant!). I think that is why social media is so addictive--there's this huge dopamine rush that comes from people proving their intellectual inferiority to you. Sadly, I think this effect is more pronounced in stupid people. Have you ever noticed how quickly the comments section deteriorates? At most, you will see one or two useful comments before that first idiot cracks his knuckles and unleashes the demon, Stoopid, all over the screen. Me, reading my FB feed: "That's interesting! Oh wait, comments got stupid." "Hey...oh, nevermind." "Awww..." There are times I wish computers costed $20K each--it might cut down on the riffraff.

The bottom line: I would greatly prefer to see pictures of the fabulous meal you just prepared, or that hysterical selfie of you with your sweet, little Mittens, or even that Garfield rerun about coffee on Mondays or lasagna on the weekend. Just anything except the Red Plate Special or the Blue Plate Special...leave those to the dolts.