I totally get the admonition to avoid talk about religion or politics - - at work, or at home, or with friends, or with family, or with strangers, or . . . well, I totally get it. Most of the time there are differing opinions. That is good. This is America. We have the right to our opinions. We have the right to express those opinions. We have the right to be passionate about things we believe in.
Where the problem arises is when those expressing the differing, passionate opinions don't listen to the other viewpoint. Listening doesn't mean that you have to change your mind, or that the person offering the opposite viewpoint is going to use some dark magic to persuade you to believe what they believe. Sometimes listening is just the polite thing to do.
Expressing your opinion doesn't mean you have a right to be rude, or to yell, or to be condescending. Expressing your opinion shouldn't be an opportunity to argue, or to create contention. It should be an intelligent flow of opinions, back and forth. It should be respectful. And therein lies a big problem. A majority of people are not respectful when it comes to expressing their viewpoints. Some people believe that they are superior to those with viewpoints other than their own. That in my opinion is arrogance and ignorance.
I don't really like to talk about politics, anyway, even though I am interested in the election this year. I know how I'm going to vote. I know who I want to win. Period.
I am passionate about my religion. And if you ask me about it, I will be more than thrilled to talk about it and answer questions. I will not normally bring it up out of the blue, though. I will, however, stand up for it with passion and will not allow people to disrespect it - - no matter where I am or who it is.
But, yes, I totally get the admonition - - talking about politics or religion? Two thumbs down.
The slander is what irritates me the most. I don't think I am even going to vote this year. I don't care for either one of them.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much that doesn't irritate me about it this time around :)
DeleteI cannot wait till this election is over so that my FB newsfeed is unclogged with all the political posts. I'm sick of it. Everyone's yelling at each other...I have one friend from high school who manages to turn conversations to politics every time, even when they have zero to do w/ politics. I've had enough of all of it. I'm so fed up that I'm not even voting this year. Nothing gets done anyway no matter who is in office.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait til it's over too. But I will be voting.
DeleteAgreed %100. I don't know why politics and religion have to be such touchy subjects, but they are. I think it's really a small number of people who make it that way. It's a shame really because it scares the rest of us and keeps us from having open conversations. Truth be told I don't identify with either party.
ReplyDeleteIf people didn't get so angry and mean, I would love to have conversations about those two subjects. But, unfortunately, when it comes to those subjects, everybody has to be "right."
DeleteI don't think we should avoid talking about politics and religion. If we are open-minded adults, we should be able to handle others having viewpoints different to ours. Unfortunately not everybody is able to act like an adult when it comes to these areas. :/
ReplyDeleteIt's the "open-minded adults" thing that gets in the way :)
DeleteMy thoughts exactly. (:
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who has a different view on certain subjects than me, however what makes this friend different is that we actually talk about these subjects and don't argue or fight. We give our opinions and views and it's actually enjoyable! I'm thankful to have experienced that so I know that it's not always a horrible conversation. It just depends on the person and ourselves, I guess.
I think it CAN be really enlightening to have those discussions. You're right, it just depends on the personalities of the participants :)
DeleteI agree, but think that when people in our society get really into a topic (be it religion, politics, childrearing, education, etc) they often forget politeness and just go at the other person's throat.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it will ever completely change.
Maybe we need more civility ?? :)
DeleteToo often, when my family gets together, any discussion regarding politics turns into a cluster. I've decided that from now on, whenever I'm going to have family over the house, I'll be posting signs everywhere -- on the front door, in the kitchen, on the dining room wall, on the bathroom mirror -- that read, "NO RELIGION, NO POLITICS!"
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can't stand it anymore. It's insane!
We can't have those discussions in my family either! My dad used to get really heated, and it just wasn't worth it.
DeleteIt is amazing what we can learn about other people if we listen, isn't it? But when people shout, I have no interest in lending my ear!
ReplyDeleteIf someone shouts or yells at me, I just want to cry :(
DeleteThe art of disagreeing agreeably has truly been lost..
ReplyDeleteWell said, MiMi!
DeleteOnce upon a time, we could hold civil, intelligent discussions on these topics. Unfortunately, nowadays, some people have nothing but contempt for any opinions but their own, and dismiss those who hold them as stupid. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteVery sad that too many times conversations turn into arguments and arguments turn into ugliness.
DeleteWell said Judy. I think that these have always been touchy subjects. Right now, both parties are making the platforms very personal to people, so that everyone is picking a side and hugging it hard to their chest based on one issue or another. And if you are on the other side, due to an entirely different issue, then clearly you are an idiot. Period. No discussion required. All people can see is their own issue that they are hugging so tightly to their chest. It has made for tunnel vision and narrow thinking. It has also made this election very personal... and that has made it very heated. Hence all the posts on FB, the very angry posts on FB, I might add. I have never seen such vitriol over an election. I think this one is going to get ugly no matter who gets elected. That doesn't mean a person shouldn't vote. It would be nice if everyone took deep breaths and tried very hard to respect their neighbor. We all want good things for the country and for one another. We just envision different ways of getting there. That is all. If we can keep that in mind it should be easier to speak more kindly to one another.
ReplyDeleteThank you Robin - great comments. I think not voting is just wrong - empathy is not what this country needs right now. Thanks again for your comments :)
DeleteThis is a great post. I would enjoy talking politics if more people would stick to the issues and what they support and why versus name calling and blanket assertions.
ReplyDeleteExactly! If people weren't so self-absorbed and arrogant, everything would be nicer!
ReplyDeletePeople want to convince the other fellow that he/she is doing the wrong thing voting for x or y and doing so, dragging the whole country down with them ... For whichever side, it is one of the most difficult, impossible, non gratifying jobs in the world to try to enlighten someone who does not WANT to be convinced. Hence, frustration, madness, etc
ReplyDeleteWe have tiny winy municipal elections coming up in October.. not comparable, not by a long shot, to anything happening in the US, but the principles are the same. I will stick to the no politics policy on my blog.
Smart move, Anni! No politics on blogs - - - or anywhere else! hahaha. No, they have their place, just not here :)
DeleteI think a big part of the problem with political discussion is that, by its very nature a two-party system is oppositional. Instead of looking at issues, we're starting from an us against them mentality. It becomes kind of like the blind loyalty people will show to their favorite sports teams--supporting and defending them (often vehemently) win or lose. Facts very rarely enter into those sorts of conversations--it is about tradition and gut feelings and nostalgia and emotion, which is exactly what campaign strategists caplitalize upon.
ReplyDeleteI generally avoid political conversations for the most part, but I am not always sure that is the right thing to do--in an ideal world, we would take some of the time we're spending trying to shout each other down to educate ourselves, not just by listening to one another's viewpoints but by seeking out actual facts from which to make more rational choices.
Of course, the world we live in is far from ideal. ;)
I agree. Education is the key. Less yelling and being mean, and more seeking knowledge.
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