Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.

The saying warns that political life is not optional: even if an individual withdraws from civic affairs, collective decisions—laws, taxes, war, rights, and public order—still shape that person’s life. It functions as an argument for civic engagement, implying that apathy is itself a choice with consequences, often leaving power to others who may not share one’s interests. Although commonly attributed to Pericles and often linked to ideals of Athenian democracy, the sentiment is best treated as a modern paraphrase capturing a broadly classical idea: that citizenship entails responsibility and that public affairs inevitably reach into private life.