Politics has always been a topic of conversation in my household. My parents did not shy away from opening conversations about social and political issues. I was lucky that they never told me what to think but taught me how to think critically.
My dad, who loves playing devil’s advocate, always pushed back on issues I thought I had all figured out. My mom told me to always approach a conversation curiously, instead of judgmentally.
Did this lead to some heated arguments? Sure. But did it also lead to growing my political perspective and an appreciation for discourse? Undoubtedly.
The root of our American democratic republic is two primary parties, both of which want a stable democracy, but the methods in which to do so differ. But now, it appears our parties have more notable ideological, moral and ethical distinctions.
Our parties seem so divided that the idea of establishing common ground has become foreign. Compromise, especially in our legislative branch, looks unimaginable because of the more stubborn, uncompromising views some of our elected representatives hold.
Many political scientists claim that America has become more polarized in its political beliefs, however, there is much research that shows individual Americans — not political parties — are not as polarized as we think.
In a peer-reviewed study called “Perceiving Political Polarization in the United States: Party Identity Strength and Attitude Extremity Exacerbate the Perceived Partisan Divide,” the authors find “several reasons why Americans might overestimate political polarization.” Those reasons include when “people strongly identify with their partisan group, whether Democrat or Republican,” and “when people hold relatively extreme partisan attitudes” an “average person” will overestimate how polarized the entire population is.
We’re not quite as polarized as the media or our politicians and media outlets lead us to believe. They, the media and politicians, make it appear as though there is absolutely no room for common ground, just right from wrong, us vs. them.
Suppose we are unable to put assumptions, biases and preconceived ideas of people aside when the topic of politics arises with family, friends or strangers. In that case, we are working against what our democracy has given us: freedom of speech and ideas that have allowed for our differences. This makes our democracy stronger, but only if we’re able to have open discourse and when necessary, compromise.
You not doing politics does not stop politics from doing you.
And what better way to be involved in politics than just being okay with discussing them?
It starts with simply being open to having a conversation, but here are some pointers:
Shift your perspective before it even starts
NPR suggests not viewing the conversation as an “I win, you lose” debate. Consider it an opportunity to understand the other person and the reasons behind that person’s position. They add, “While you may be well educated on a topic, you don’t necessarily have all the answers.”
Don’t make make snap judgments about someone
Once you’re talking, be conscious of how you are asking a question and how it comes off. NPR presents the example, instead of saying, “How can you possibly overlook all the evidence on climate change?” you might ask, “What experiences have shaped your thinking on this issue?”
Since the line between personal and political beliefs is blurry and intertwined, we’re inclined to have emotional attachments to our personal beliefs which often dictate our political ones.
Having conversations you are uncomfortable with pushes us to explore ourselves, other people, new ideas, perspectives and experiences, and that’s enough to challenge our little ideological bubble.
Your goal isn’t to agree; it’s to disagree and keep talking.
