How to Talk About Political Differences

Hello Faithful Readers, it’s nice to be back.

After a few weeks’ hiatus, it is nice to be back in your inbox, and as always, I thank you for reading. My absence was due to a construction issue that ended up flooding a good part of our house and destroying my professional library. Mopping up and digging out has been a herculean task. Now that we are seeing some progress, I can focus my energy back to this forum.

The topic for today is how to deal with people who are politically different from you and maintain a relationship. Admittedly it is a difficult thing to do. If, however, we desire to stay in relationship with people who are politically different from us, we need to learn some skills. Here is a list of best practices as set forth by the Center for Media Engagement. I am indebted to them for their work.  https://mediaengagement.org/research/divided-communities/

Our findings revealed five main strategies for talking across political differences:

1. Focus on the people, not the politics
   1. Build a relationship before talking politics. Don’t take comments personally. Share your own relevant experiences
   1. Give a relatable hypothetical situation
2. Find common ground
   1. Bond over less polarized issues. Be open to listening and understanding. Ask questions to understand a different viewpoint
   1. Focus on shared beliefs
3. Stick to the facts and avoid confrontation
   1. Stick to information that can be verified. Back up your opinions with evidence. Limit emotion in discussion
   1. Avoid confrontational language
4. Be an advocate rather than an opponent
   1. Adapt conversational style to audience
   1. Avoid words that might upset people
5. Pick your battles
   1. Talk about local politics instead of national politics. Focus on policy instead of party
   1. Avoid hot-button issues

For more information visit the above website for illustrations and strategies.