Not everyone has the luxury of being apolitical or desensitized toward the political problems concerning the general population.
Matters such as separating migrant children from their parents, denying proper medical treatment to members of the LGBTQ community, and eliminating EPA guidelines aren’t insignificant, especially for those without the privilege of staying unaffected whether one party wins or another.
Statements such as “don’t sweat the small stuff” and “don’t lose friends over politics” often come from those who will do perfectly fine no matter which candidate gets elected.
But the truth is: We all must pick our battles.
Politics, Thoughts, and Contrasting Perceptions
They say overheated political arguments are counterproductive, but so is silence and the act of not speaking up against the ills of a political system.
Avoiding argumentative discourse altogether on political issues simply because you don’t want to put your friendships at risk can stifle your chances for personal growth, as well as society’s move towards a better tomorrow.
The right way to avoid wrecking dialogue and stay friends with those who don’t share your views is by steering clear of these eight vandalizing discussion tactics:
- Passing sarcastic comments and using a dismissive tone.
- Not listening to the other person’s views and making them feel erased.
- Having a fixed ideology and belief system with a harsh unwillingness to understand varied opinions.
- Not allowing the other person to speak.
- Distortion of what the opponent is saying.
- Speaking for the other person by using statements such as “he thinks that …”.
- Using derogatory language or bad-mouthing.
- Argumentative and escalated voice volume with increased emotional intensity, anger, and frustration.
It’s a great habit to speak up about your views, opinions, and perceptions. But avoid ruining your relationships by turning healthy debates with friends into arguments where you’re not being logical and aren’t ready to take diverse perspectives under consideration.