Political Talking Tips

I’m a Republican married to a Democrat.  We get along pretty well, but sometimes when it comes to politics we have some crazy arguments!  Along the way I’ve discovered that if we keep a few points in mind we can usually have a civil discussion rather than a shouting match where feelings get hurt.

Agree to Disagree

Seeing how we come from very different viewpoints it’s best to keep in mind that we’re not likely to change the other person’s stance on major issues.  If we can instead try to understand why they believe the way they do we might actually go a lot farther towards finding smaller points that we do agree upon.

Show Respect

Since we aren’t likely to completely change the other person’s mind it helps if we can also respect them for their beliefs.  There are different reasons why people hold the beliefs they do in many areas of their lives.  These all add together to form a basis for their political beliefs.  When we respect a person we also respect their life experiences that have shaped who they are.

Refrain from Name Calling

It’s easy to resort to name-calling when you feel hurt.  This is the time to say “I respectfully disagree” and end the discussion.  Nothing productive will happen after a discussion degrades to personal insults.

Open Mind

You’d be surprised all the ways that I have changed my ideas in the last few years just from being married to a Democrat and having these discussions.  There are two sides to every story!  The best part about this is that I feel like a more reasoned individual and that I have more answers when I get into these discussions with other people.  The more you use your brain, the more you have!

Keep It Impersonal

This is the hardest one since many of us hold our beliefs so deeply.  We need to try and remember that when the other person strongly disagrees with a political idea that doesn’t mean they don’t like us as a person.  Don’t feel attacked personally.  Try to see where they are coming from and perhaps they have a misconception about this idea that you can talk about.

I hope these tips will help next time you get in a political “discussion”, especially if you can agree on the ground rules before you get in too deep.  You could even try it in other non-political discussions.  Let me know how it works for you!

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