When I was ten-year-old, I read three different newspapers. My favorite section was politics. Likely because my mom was a politician who wrote columns in local newspapers.

I thought memorizing the names of famous politicians was necessary to be a smart person. Although I could never figure out why the two parties had to disagree on every topic, I was still proud that I could tell who was on which side.

Even in college, I cared so much about Korean politics. When Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal rattled the entire country, I was so furious that I ran to a stationary store to buy a paper board and colored papers to concoct a “Park Must Resign” protest sign.

I was studying in the US but still held the sign in front of the university’s main library. No one, besides Koreans, even knew who Park was. I still felt like I was participating in a historical movement.

8 years have passed, and I don’t care about politics anymore. Being obsessed with the news for 15 years only caused anxiety and helplessness. Instead of feeling angry about another political scandal, I now try my best to look for timeless wisdom in books.

Watching a bunch of politicians quarreling with each other is never worth my time. My goal is to disconnect myself from politics for a long time until I forget who’s on which side.