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How To Keep Your Family And Friends When You’re Political Foes
A primer on how to deal with conflict
Political differences have tested the limits of family and friendship long before the Trump era.
My introduction to familial political differences came from television shows in the ’70s and ’80s — All In The Family and Family Ties. Political battles are as old as politics, but the divergence of our beliefs has intensified the bad blood.
We can all point to an experience where a friend or family member spouts a political view so infuriating that we feel the need to educate and convert them. If they really infuriate us, we’ll trumpet the idiocy of their nonsense for everyone to hear.
These disputes slowly corrode your relationships like rust-prone metal exposed to water.
With the right strategies, you can prevent these disputes from turning into bitter clashes where both sides vow never to speak to one another again.
Disarming strategies
Ever since my teenage years, my friends have used terms like uncontroversial, non-confrontational, mediator, and peacemaker to describe me. All those descriptions bear some truth. My natural inclination is to ease tension rather than exacerbate it.
