Talking With Friends and Family During Election Season (Copy)

Like it or not, it’s common to have friends and family in your life with differing political opinions. This means things might get tense every four years around election season, especially this year. With each party representing a completely different world to their supporters, it might be harder than usual to chat with people in our lives voting for the opposite candidate. Election season also falls around the holidays when seeing these people and having these conversations may be unavoidable. We’ve been there and that’s why we want to help! Read below for a few pieces of advice on how to navigate these potentially unsavory, but important, conversations this year. 

Stay Calm and Respectful: 

If a friend or family member jumps right into political talk and it’s clear you’re not on their side, stay calm and keep the conversation respectful. Try avoiding raising your voice, making personal attacks against the person for their beliefs, and actively listen to what they have to say. 

Try and Engage in a Conversation Rather Than a Back and Forth:

Instead of going back and forth bouncing points and facts off of each other that don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other, try engaging in a conversation instead. Ask open ended questions, try to find common ground if possible, and share your perspective rather than blunt statements phrased as fact. This will help create a dialogue where you can understand where they’re coming from. 

Know When to Walk Away:

If you’ve been talking for a while and feel like you’re getting nowhere, it’s okay to walk away. It’s better to put the conversation to be than ruin a family gathering or holiday. It can be hard to accept that you can’t change their mind but ultimately, it’s out of your hands.

The goal of these conversations should be to foster understanding and maintain relationships, even if you don’t agree with each other. But, as politics begin to become more and more polarizing, you might find yourself rethinking your relationships with those who don’t align with you. But before you do anything irrational, it could be a good idea to talk about how you feel and get an outside perspective. Book your consultation now at mindplexcity.com/consultation