Why do People Choose Not to Vote?

People each have their own reasons for not voting. Some people are not registered to vote; some people simply cannot be bothered to; some people don’t see the point and believe their vote counts for nothing. In the UK, voter turnout in general elections used to be much higher than it is today. In the 2010 election, 65.1 per cent of the population turned out, compared to 83.9 per cent in 1950. This possibly reflects a growing disillusionment with politics and politicians; perhaps it also reflects a changing society – one where people are less engaged with the issues of the day.

Of course, there are a variety of different political systems and this can influence whether people turn out to vote or not. In a first-past-the-post system, there may seem less reason to vote when there isn’t that much choice. In the UK, this is the very system that is in place and, usually, the outcome is that either Labour or the Conservatives end up in power. The 2010 election threw up an unusual result in that there was a hung parliament and a coalition was created between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. Usually, though, there is a clear-cut ‘winner’ and if you want to vote for a minority party it almost seems to be a waste of time.

There are other systems that use some kind of proportional representation, so that even votes for a minority party count, as votes for them lead to representation in the national legislature. Voter turnout in countries with this kind of system tends to be higher, whether it’s because people are more interested in the issues or they simply believe that their vote counts for something and do not want to waste it. Even then, there are people who still choose not to vote, but it certainly seems that people are politically literate enough to realise that not voting could lead to a party that they do not want in power to end up in charge of the country.

There are other reasons why people decide not to vote besides laziness or disillusionment; for some people there isn’t the option to vote. In countries where war is prevalent or where there is a threat of violence, some people may decide it is just not worth the risk to vote, especially if the outcome of an election is likely to be predetermined and manipulated, anyway. People in safe, Western countries probably take for granted their right to vote, but not everyone is so lucky. The fight for suffrage was fought in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the West, but in some countries, universal suffrage is still far from being achieved, as is the case in Saudi Arabia. Although there are those who maintain people should vote whatever the situation, surely it is more important that people have the option to vote in the first place.

Why do People Drink too Much?

How much is too much? Everyone has their own limits when it comes to alcohol. Some people can get drunk on just a glass of wine, whilst for others it takes a lot more. There is so much contradictory evidence when it comes to alcohol. Sometimes it's suggested that you should drink a glass of wine a day for the benefit of your health, whilst at other times all alcohol is deemed as harmful. Nevertheless, it is evident that your body can only tolerate so much alcohol before you start to experience adverse effects.

Even if you don't feel particularly drunk, this doesn't mean the amount of alcohol you're drinking is reasonable. It may be that your body has just grown accustomed to you drinking too much! Clearly, you can't drink a couple of bottles of wine every night and expect your liver not to take a hit. Drinking too much can lead to serious health problems, yet despite the warnings, many people carry on doing it regardless. Many people are ignorant of how much is an acceptable amount of alcohol to drink, but then most probably do not bother to do any research into it either.

For most people, drinking is a relatively cheap way to have a good time. When you go out with friends, what do you do? Many people choose to go to the pub or to nightclubs where alcohol is served. Drinking lowers many of your inhibitions and so you become more outgoing and can dance and chat to strangers without feeling self-conscious. Even if you're not a keen drinker, when you're surrounded by your friends and other people who are all drinking, it's hard not to succumb and to have a few drinks yourself. Alcohol is, after all, a socially acceptable drug that you're not going to get prosecuted for imbibing.

Getting drunk is almost a rite of passage. Everyone has their own drunken tales to tell and although politicians may complain about a binge drinking epidemic, most people don't really think about their own drinking habits in such a way. They want to go out and have a good time, and drinking is frequently part of that. Of course, there are dangers in drinking too much, as you can easily end up in a vulnerable position if you're so drunk that you don't know what's going on. Yet, despite the immediate risks and the long-term health risks, it seems that people would prefer to live for the moment and avoid thinking about the consequences of their behaviour, making it easier for them to drink too much.

Why do Some People Always Let You Down?

The chances are that during your lifetime, you will encounter people who always seem to let you down. You may lend them money that they never bother to repay; ask them to do something for you, which they never get around to doing; and it often seems that you're always giving without receiving anything in return. Sometimes, you're better off just cutting these people out of your life, but if they are a close friend or relative, it can be hard to just let go of them, even if they do treat you badly and always let you down.

Often, when someone lets you down, it is not a deliberately malicious act; they're just too wrapped up in themselves and their own lives to really pay attention to what other people are thinking or doing. They make rash promises that they fail to keep, whether intentionally or not, and yet still expect their friends and family to drop everything for them. They are so self-absorbed that they don't bother to think how their actions affect others around them. As long as they are having a good time, they don't really care and they try to avoid as much responsibility as possible.

Of course, it doesn't help if you continually indulge these individuals. If you have a friend who frequently asks to borrow money from you and rarely pays you back, you can hardly expect him to learn anything if you always give in and hand over the cash. It can be tough to say 'no', especially when the type of person who always lets you down usually has a tendency to be manipulative and skillful in getting exactly what they want. If your 'friend' starts talking about how he has nothing in the house to eat and won't be able to feed his cats, the chances are you're going to feel sorry for him.

However, you're the one who ends up feeling frustrated, upset and angry when you lend your friend some money and he never bothers to pay you back, especially when you know that he's been down the pub and out clubbing with friends. It hurts even more when your supposed friend doesn't even bother to make an effort to see you, unless he wants something from you. It is hardly friendship if you are the one who is always supportive and willing to give up your time and money for someone who doesn't appear to care at all what is going on in your life.

A relationship in which you are always being let down is hardly beneficial to you or the other individual concerned. You're left feeling used and the other person thinks that he can keep getting away with treating you like dirt. You therefore have to face up to the fact that your own well-being should be a priority and that if you have to cut that person from your life to be happy, then so be it.

Why are so Many People Stressed?

Stress is something that everyone encounters, but it seems that more and more people are struggling to deal with stress and are developing health problems as a result. From an early age, individuals are expected to work hard and perform well at school so they can go to university and get a decent career. This is so they can have a career that commands respect and pays well, and are then able to lead the kind of lifestyle they desire. At the same time, there is a great deal of pressure to have an active social life before settling down and having a family.

You're left feeling that if you haven't achieved all of this by the time you're in your thirties, you're somewhat of a failure. You find yourself comparing your accomplishments with those of your friends and you can never be happy with what you've got, because there is always more to strive for. There is always another promotion to go for; a bigger house or car to buy and people have certain expectations of you, which you feel you have to match. Plus, you may feel that you have to take a particular job in order to meet all your financial commitments.

Whether you have a high-flying career that requires you to work long, irregular hours or a low-paying job with very little security, there is often a lot of stress. If you run a company worth millions, there is obviously a great deal of pressure on you to keep the success going and other areas of your life could suffer if you're always working. Of course, you're going to get stressed if you never have time for anything other than work. If you're on a low income you may also find yourself working long hours, but you don't get to enjoy the big, expensive house or fancy cars.

Being on a low-income can be just as stressful, if not more stressful, than having a high-paying career, because you have to work harder to manage your finances and you miss out on the luxuries which those on a higher income are able to enjoy, which can make you feel rather down. It is obviously stressful to try to meet all your financial commitments when you aren't paid that much and you are unable to set aside some money for your future. Of course, those who earn a lot of money often have the lifestyle to accompany it and so they, too, can struggle to make ends meet.

For lots of people, the source of stress is finding the right balance between work and family life and earning enough money to lead the lifestyle they want. It doesn't help that you continually have it drilled into you that the best way to achieve happiness is to get a decent job and earn lots of money, because then you can buy whatever you want. Clearly, money doesn't buy you happiness, but even though individuals may recognise this fact, it doesn't stop them getting stressed, because they feel that they have failed to accomplish all that they should have and have not lived up to everyone else's expectations.

Why Are People so Obsessed with Their Weight?

It seems that it is impossible to escape the issue of weight in our society. From an early age you hear your mother complaining about how fat she is and watch her going from diet to diet in order to shift a few pounds, not that you can ever really tell the difference! As you enter your teenage years you become more aware of your own body and how others judge you by your size, so that you start tinkering with your diet and exercising more in order to shift a bit of weight, something which usually carries on well into adulthood.

It doesn't help that the media is so preoccupied with weight. There are always news stories and documentaries examining the impact of rising obesity levels on society, so that you're under no illusion that obesity is bad. If you let yourself become overweight you are at greater risk of developing health problems that make it harder to work, leaving you unable to contribute to the health services that you will become increasingly reliant upon.

It is not only the issue of obesity that is highlighted on television and in magazines, though, since at the same time there is concern about the influence the media has on anorexia amongst adolescent girls, in particular. There is a fear that putting ultra-thin models and actresses on show in order to inspire others to admire their beauty and want to emulate their success is sending out the wrong message. There are many complex reasons why individuals develop eating disorders, but clearly this societal fixation with weight doesn't help.

Whether you're fat, thin or somewhere in the middle, it is hard to accept the size you are and learn to love the skin you're in when you're surrounded by images that are designed to encourage you to transform yourself. You are made to think about your weight, even if you're a perfectly healthy size, because you are bombarded with images of slim, attractive young things wearing fashionable clothing and you want to look the best you can.

When you watch television or flick through a magazine you notice there are plenty of slimming groups for you to join and diet products for you to buy that will supposedly help you lose a few pounds and you can quite easily get sucked into buying things you don't really need and that won't even help you manage your weight. It is not only the media that shapes your attitude towards weight, though, since friends and family also influence you. If all your friends are slim, you want to be, too; if a family member goes on a diet, you may decide to because you don't want to be left out. Clearly, there are more important issues in the world than weight, but many people find that their self-esteem is affected by their size and that their weight undermines their enjoyment of life. For these individuals, weight can become an obsession which only makes them feel more miserable.

Why People Aren't Concerned About Being Obese

Obesity is a growing problem in the developed world as the number of overweight and obese individuals overtake the number of individuals who are a healthy weight. Obesity puts a great deal of strain on a person’s heart and can lead to all sorts of serious health conditions that cost money to treat. Consequently, national governments are concerned about the implications of having so many obese individuals who may not be able to work because of their size, thus failing to make any contribution to the economy, whilst becoming increasingly reliant on health services.

In order to address the issue of obesity, governments have been bombarding their citizens with information about how to lead a healthier lifestyle, whilst introducing certain taxes in order to try to discourage people from eating high-fat foods or consuming fizzy drinks. Despite all their efforts, though, most people don’t want to hear it. Even when they’re obese and know that they need to eat healthier and exercise more, they just don’t believe it is as big a problem as they are constantly being told. When they don’t believe it is really a problem, why would they bother to try to change?

Many people are in denial about the potential impact their weight could have on their health. They convince themselves that because they’re healthy at the moment, they will stay this way until they reach old age. However, obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other health problems substantially. Individuals may be able to tell themselves that they’re healthy and that their weight isn’t an issue, but eventually they could find that the extra weight they’re carrying starts to undermine their health.

Clearly, it is better for individuals if they don’t let their weight increase over the years, so they end up classified as obese, but it can be difficult for some individuals to acknowledge they’re that overweight. For those who’ve always had a weight problem, it is easier to accept that this is how they’re supposed to be, rather than making an effort to change. Plus, many obese individuals grow up in a household where their parents and siblings are obese, too, and if they also have friends who are obese, they are no different from the rest of the people they mix with on a day-to-day basis.

Whilst there are many people who are not particularly concerned about being obese, either because their health is not yet suffering or because they don’t even realise they’re obese, there are others for whom being obese is a matter for concern. There are plenty of reasons to be worried about being obese and some individuals are so anxious and frustrated about their weight that their desperation leads them to use radical and sometimes dangerous methods of weight loss. Obviously, this isn’t the best way to try to stay healthy life, either, which is why although obesity is a serious health issue, there is no point in anyone jeopardising their health just to lose weight quickly.