awkward having different political beliefs

[LazyHermitCrab]

How do you handle situations when you disagree with someone on political beliefs? I try my best to avoid talking about it, but when i'm asked directly what it is and i disagree with that person it causes problems. It hurts a lot especially if it's someone i really care about. I haven't lost anyone completely due to only political beliefs, but it's still hard and so awkward. I don't even know what my political beliefs are. I can say i'm moderate though which is nice. Are your beliefs well defined?

 

[this_portrait]

I'm definitely either in the middle or off the spectrum, and I'm critical of left- and right-wingers (though lately I've been more fed up with left-wingers, probably because they're the loudest on my Fb front page). I try to avoid political topics, for the most part, but if someone were to get so angry over my own views and practically take them personally, well, then good riddance! Who wants people like that in their lives?

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

I'm definitely either in the middle or off the spectrum, and I'm critical of left- and right-wingers (though lately I've been more fed up with left-wingers, probably because they're the loudest on my Fb front page). I try to avoid political topics, for the most part, but if someone were to get so angry over my own views and practically take them personally, well, then good riddance! Who wants people like that in their lives?

Yeah. I sometimes feel like people who label themselves left or right are just blindly following everything because that's what their party wants to do. Being moderate lets you make individual decisions per issue.

 

[Section_31]

It's difficult. But I've just learned not to engage period. And I tell ppl that.

Two things I will rarely get into: politics and religion. As long as ppl don't bring those up we can get along just fine.

Thing to remember is opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one

 

[Solitudes_Grace]

I've clashed with people on political and social issues many times in the past. As a result, I've learned to be much more tactful with those types of conversations. I try to only bring up political issues if I think the person will agree with my thoughts on the issue. It can be frustrating at times; sometimes, I really want to have a conversation about a particular political or social issue, but I don't have anyone to talk to about it because everyone I do know are either apathetic towards the issue or they disagree with my perspective on the issue. Sometimes, I think that my political and social stances are one of the many reasons why I feel so alienated from everyone around me.

 

[SilentAndShy]

I do tend to shy away from debates of a political nature, even though I've got a valid opinion but with SA sufferers, it's that fear of being embarrased and ridicule that prevents us from taking that step.

I debate, create and add to discussion on forums but have to yet to translate that into verbal jousting.

 

[Unspoken]

I'll usually politely decline the subject, but there are a handful of people I disagree with and sometimes talk to about it. We have an "agree to disagree" mindset, since it's not like one of us says yes to cannibalism or anything.

There's always going to be the group that can't handle the disagreement in addition to the group that can, and if you're not particularly tactful I think it's best to decline the subject matter. There's a place for heated discussion, and it's usually not everyday situations or work/school.

 

[Griffin]

How do you handle situations when you disagree with someone on political beliefs? I try my best to avoid talking about it, but when i'm asked directly what it is and i disagree with that person it causes problems. It hurts a lot especially if it's someone i really care about. I haven't lost anyone completely due to only political beliefs, but it's still hard and so awkward. I don't even know what my political beliefs are. I can say i'm moderate though which is nice. Are your beliefs well defined?

Depends on the person I'm dealing with and the extent or nature of the disagreement. With people I know well, I may be more inclined to just say, "I disagree - I feel that...". With those I don't know, I just tend not to engage them on it.

If you disagree with someone, so much depends on how you present yourself. If you feel differently to others, don't worry about it. It's natural.

My own political beliefs are well defined in that they're all over the place :bigsmile:. Some days I feel more left wing and others I'm more right wing - mostly I'm in the middle.

 

[Flanscho]

That doesn't really happen to me. The huge majority of my friends think about the same as me. None of them has a vastly different opinion.

It would be quite difficult for me to consider someone a friend who thinks completly the opposite of things that are important to me.