🧠 I Got Sumn to Say: Voting Against Your Own Self-Interest

A friend told me that the other day, they were listening to the radio and the host said something that stuck with them and it has also stuck with me:

“We can’t assume people’s beliefs are what we think they should be. They may have bought into thinking they’re in a different category than what they really are.”

That hit. Because it explains so much of what we’re seeing right now in politics, in our communities, and in this country.

A lot of folks are out here voting like they’re billionaires. Voting like they own land they’ve never walked on. Voting like the laws being passed won’t reach their doorstep.

And the reality is this: a lot of people are voting against their own self-interest—and it’s tearing us apart from the inside.

The Myth of the “Exceptional Me”

Let’s break this down.

There’s this cultural myth—especially in American society—that you’re different. That you’re the exception to the rule. That you don’t need food stamps, even if you’ve used them. That you’re not affected by racism, even when your resume keeps getting passed over. That if you just hustle hard enough, you’ll rise above the rest.

It’s the myth of the “bootstraps”—a narrative sold to us by those who benefit from us struggling quietly.

So what happens?

People who’ve been hurt by the system start defending it. They fight for tax breaks they’ll never get. They support cuts to services they actually need. They cheer for politicians who look down on them but smile for their vote.

Why? Because somewhere along the way, they started believing they were part of a class or a culture that they’re not.

Delusion has become strategy.

The Political Weaponization of Identity

This is no accident. It’s by design.

Political strategists have learned to tap into fear, pride, and perceived superiority to distract from policy. They sell the lie that “you’re not like those people” to divide working-class folks against each other.

It’s how poor white voters get convinced to vote for candidates who gut healthcare. It’s how middle-class Black voters sometimes support policies that criminalize poverty. It’s how communities of color are talked into opposing programs they’d actually benefit from—because they’ve been convinced those programs are “for someone else.”

But here’s the truth:

There is no shame in needing help.

There is danger in voting away your own safety net.

Systems vs. Symbols

As a public administration scholar, I study systems. And systems don’t care about slogans.

They don’t run on vibes. They run on policy, power, and participation.

When we vote for aesthetics over outcomes—when we confuse tough talk for good leadership—we become pawns in someone else’s playbook.

That’s why it's critical to analyze who benefits from what you're voting for. Ask yourself:

• Will this policy protect me, or just punish people who look like me?

• Will this candidate invest in my neighborhood, or just talk slick on TV?

• Does this decision reflect what I need—or what I’ve been made to feel?

  
  

Voting should be an act of clarity—not confusion.

So What Do We Do?

Here’s what I’m challenging all of us to do moving forward:

1. Vote informed. Don’t just follow party lines—follow the money, the record, and the receipts.

2. Vote local. School boards and city councils matter more to your day-to-day than most realize.

3. Vote for the village. If your vote helps you but harms your people, it’s not justice—it’s ego.

4. Vote beyond identity. Representation is powerful, but policy is protection.

5. Challenge your assumptions. Ask whether what you believe actually serves your real-life experience.

   
   

Delusion Is Expensive

We are where we are because too many people are clinging to delusions: That they’re rich when they’re not. That they’re protected when they’re exposed.That they’re exceptional when they’re excluded.

But hope starts with honesty. And honesty starts with us being real about who we are—and what we need.

👊🏽 Don’t let delusion cost you your dignity. Vote like you see yourself clearly—and love your people deeply.