[smt88]

> don't think I've lost out on much because of it

I imagine it's great for your mental health. I wouldn't dispute that.

If you are lucky enough to live in a functioning democracy, you did lose something: the ability to make informed decisions about your government.

[Disruptive_Dave]

I don't disagree completely on that. It was factored into my lifestyle. I was OK with that. We only have so much energy in our lives. Waking up each morning and being the best I could be to myself and those in my vicinity seemed a worthwhile goal. Tend to the part of the garden you can touch.

[3qz]

Informed decisions are meaningless on an individual level. The government will be the same no matter who I vote for. Voting is just a way to feel like you did something without any effort

[smt88]

> The government will be the same no matter who I vote for.

"Both sides"/"my vote doesn't count" fatalism is boring and unsupported by evidence. Australians just strongly voted their support of mitigating climate change, and it wouldn't have happened if millions of them thought like you.

> Voting is just a way to feel like you did something without any effort

So what's your solution? What's your alternative to voting?

We know the historical alternative: killing, dying, suffering, or (most likely) a combination of all of the above.

The dramatically lower instance of tyranny in post-democratic societies proves that you're wrong.

The irony here is that whining about the government is the ultimate "feeling like you're doing something without any effort".