Background
Don’t talk about three things: Politics, Religion, and money. Those are what people consider to be the unspeakable conversations. Religion and money both make sense, as they can be very personal and are not the business of other people. However, the topic of politics is a bit different. It is a person’s beliefs, yes, but if these difficult discussions never happen, and people do not hear other people in what their thoughts are, then how can decisions ever be made?
The “Why”
Pew Research Center had discovered that 45% of Americans cut off a conversation about politics due to what someone else said, either to their face or online. An article on Vox Magazine describes some reasons as to why Americans hate discussing politics. The big reason is the fact that this kind of serious topic conversation could lead to confrontation. There are people out there that hate confrontation, and instead of talking it out and trying to solve the problem, they would rather avoid it all together. These kind of people do not just do this with politics, but with all aspects of their life, which is in some ways, not healthy. Going back to the political aspect, it is not a good idea to completely avoid the serious topics. If these controversial topics are always being avoided, then there is no way to settle the controversy. Therefore, they will continue to be a burden for the generations to follow, as they are now.
Polarization is another key factor that ties into our first one. The country is at such a divide currently, and people of both sides feel that talking will only lead to arguing. That is one of the biggest problems with politics today. People when they do actually try to have a conversation turn it into a screaming match. People seem to only like to talk, but forget that there are two parts of a conversation. They forget that they should actually try and listen to the other person and hear the other sides thoughts. That way, people can at least understand and maybe even agree with the person. It is not like everyone has to agree with the other side in the end, but at least acknowledge the points they bring, and try to respect that opinion.
How Can We Change This?
University of Wisconsin-LA gives a couple more ideas not mentioned on how to be able to have a political conversation. First, generosity is mentioned. When two people discuss serious topics, it is important for them to assume the other person has the right intentions with their thoughts. Conversations tend to go south when one or both people feel that the other has the wrong motives with their thoughts and actions. It is important to keep a positive outlook on what someone else is saying.
The second big thing mentioned is mutual respect. This is something that goes for any kind of conversation, but especially for a political one. There can be disagreement in these kinds of conversation, but if people do not keep that mutual respect, then it will become a big mess and can get personal. It is important that each person feels like they are being heard, and that they are not being disrespected just because of their views. Even if it is something that not everyone agrees on, it is better to keep insults and harsh comments inside.
Conclusion
Politics is not a very easy thing to discuss. Many people struggle to have this conversation. Whether it is the fear of that confrontation, the annoyance of being disrespected, or even (something not mentioned previously) the simple lack of information on a particular topic, Americans are shying away. This is something that has been going on forever, and people continue to pass on the idea that politics is one of those untouchable topics that should be left out of every conversation. However, if there is going to be change, if there is going to be a future where these issues actually have a chance of being solved, the discussions need to start happening. They are not going to be easy, but if they were, the issues would have already been solved.
https://www.uwlax.edu/currents/how-to-talk-politics-with-friends/
https://www.voxmagazine.com/why-dont-americans-talk-about-politics/article_fd413198-5b3c-11ea-b49c-0b42a5919e5a.html
A sore subject: Almost half of Americans have stopped talking politics with someone