It is common knowledge that one should refrain from discussing religion and politics with friends and family. There is a very good reason for this. These topics polarize people.
Let’s look at why it’s not a good idea to discuss politics.
People Vote Based on Beliefs
Who you vote for is a very emotional topic because it stems from beliefs that you have. This is who you are. For example, people who were brought up to believe that the strong should take care of the weak will believe in voting for politicians who give out huge welfare handouts.
People who were brought up and instilled with values such as hard work will believe in going out and getting your own instead of having others give it to you. So, they’ll be against politicians who take their hard earned taxes and give it to those who won’t do their part and get a job.
Since it’s very hard to change someone’s personal beliefs, you shouldn’t try. It’s best to keep mum whenever the topic of politics comes up.
There is no Right or Wrong
The hard truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here.
For example, if you’re talking about a topic like rape, just about everyone who is sane will agree that it is wrong and should never be condoned. However, when a politician like Donald Trump says that he is ‘smart’ for not paying taxes, this can be debated till the cows come home.
Some people will say that he is indeed smart because he did stay within the law and we shouldn’t vilify him for his business savvy. Others will say that plumbers are paying more taxes and Donald is evading taxes and not doing his part.
So who is right?
Nobody knows! These are opinions that are neither black nor white. It’s all shades of grey and if you talk politics with your friends and family, it’s just a matter of time before many of you start feeling blue.
This can lead to you feeling stressed out that people are not seeing things from your point of view. Many friendships have ended because people don’t see eye to eye on the presidential candidates. This leads to bitterness and more stress.
This is sad because your friends are more important that either Trump or Hillary. In times of need, your friends will probably be the ones who help you and not the presidential candidates. Do not alienate your friends just because of politics.
Politics is Polarizing
As mentioned earlier, politics polarizes people. If you’re a hardcore Trump supporter, then you’ll probably not like Hillary and will not be too happy when people praise her.
If you were at a dinner and started praising Trump while your father-in-law started singing praises of Hillary like she’s the next Mother Teresa, your blood will start boiling. This is human nature.
To avoid all this stress, do not discuss politics and in the event that someone else does, gently remind them that you’d all be better off discussing the Kardashians who are almost just as bad but at least everyone can agree on that.
Too Much Talking and Too Little Listening
Whenever people start talking about politics, they always mention that they will keep an open mind and have an intelligent debate. However, what mostly happens is that everyone starts talking and no one really listens.
People want others to see things from their point of view. The open debate starts to take on sinister undertones and feelings get hurt because some folks may get sarcastic and put others down for being dumb to support a particular candidate.
Once again, unnecessary stress that can be avoided.
There are a Million Other Things to Talk About
There are so many things in life that are more interesting than Trump and Hillary. Why not talk about those things? Books you’ve read, TV shows or movies you’ve watched, funny things that you’ve seen and even what your future plans in life are.
All these topics are more fun, rewarding and enriching than talking about politics and being antagonistic towards each other.
While talking about politics with people who are not emotional can be very educational and enriching, when it’s done with the majority of people, you’ll probably end up stressed out… and if you already are tearing your hair out, stop the discussions. Stress gone. Period.
“If you ever injected truth into politics, you have no politics.” – Will Rogers
