By: Hana Tilksew
With every election year comes heightened emotions around politics. As everyone’s opinions get stronger, their respect for other people lessens. And if the events of this past Saturday have taught us anything, it’s that unbridled hatred for the other side can have violent consequences.
The only way to ever truly get anywhere in politics is to listen to the other side and meet them in the middle. As hard as that can be sometimes, it’s not impossible. The next time you find yourself talking to someone with different politics, employ these tools to keep it cute and classy.
People > Parties
You might hate the ideology of the other political party with all your heart. But you shouldn’t hate the members of that party. By villainizing everyone across the aisle, not only do you make your own party look bad, but you kill your chances of persuading anyone to your side. Who would bother hearing out someone who openly hates them?
By coming into every discussion with the preconceived idea that the other person is evil, you’ve already eliminated all chances of healthy, productive discourse. Remember that the person in front of you is also a human being who just wants life in America to be as great as it can be. You may disagree on how to get there, but don’t lose sight of that shared goal.
Find Common Ground
Before tallying up everything you disagree with someone about, try to find some common ground. Maybe you have the same view on gun control. Maybe you agree on the benefits of a certain foreign policy strategy. Whatever it is, finding something that unites you makes it easier to see the other person as an ally instead of an enemy. And as long as we’re all American citizens, we’re all allies.
Be The Bigger Person
In today’s political climate, we are all representatives of the side we’re on. You can argue that it shouldn’t be that way, but it just is. People will associate the way you behave with your entire ideology. If you’re aggressive and try to hit other people below the belt, you’ll damage the credibility of your own viewpoint.
When it comes to maintaining both your credibility and your dignity, the best thing you can do is be the bigger person. Even if people who disagree with you don’t want to be civil, you should keep yourself from stooping to their level. Politics is messy, and at the end of the day, we only engage with it because we have to. Don’t let politically charged disagreements cause you to forget your own character.
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