Talking Politics

A lot of people feel uncomfortable when it comes to talking about political issues and politics in general. I think this is largely because many people don't like confrontation and risking relationships after finding out they hold opposing views to someone else in their life. However, I think it's very important to have dialogue because that's how people on both sides of the political spectrum grow and further understand their own standings in contrast to differing viewpoints. It's unfortunate that, all too often, dialogue on political issues turns hostile and confrontational. I think that the reason for that is that many people get defensive when it comes to their beliefs and resort to personal attacks towards people who see the world differently than them. I try my best to avoid personal attacks when it comes to discussion with someone that holds opposing views to mine, because that drives both parties away from having civil conversations about important issues. I'm liberal, if you've read this blog before, you are well aware of that. However, I have many conservative colleagues and I don't look down on them for disagreeing with me on the issues. The reason for that is that I understand and recognize that people attain their political views from their own experiences in their lives, and obviously I haven't lived their lives. When having a conversation with someone I may disagree with, the first thing I do is tell them that their opinions are valid. I've found that this quickly disarms them and leads to a more civil course of dialogue. If I'm talking to a conservative, making it clear to them that I'm not talking down to them is the crucial first step in having a legitimate conversation on the issues. I've never understood people who think they can't be friends with people who disagree with them. I think that is the epitome of closed mindedness and is ultimately, in the larger scope of things, bad for them and bad for society. People shouldn't be afraid of disagreement and confrontation, because that's how we all grow. Surrounding yourself only with people that agree with you is bad because you're creating and living your life in an echo chamber. You're not going to grow if all you do is associate with people that parrot your own views back to you.