Politics, as most people experience it, is a theatre. Roles are assigned. Scripts are inherited. Symbols are worshipped. Conflicts are staged, resolved, and restaged—without altering the machinery underneath. Theatre is not harmless. It consumes attention, neutralizes responsibility, and substitutes performance for consequence. Adult politics begins when we leave the audience.What Makes Politics “Adult”Adult politics is not idealistic. It is not cynical either. It is defined by one refusal:th...