In a perfect world, everyone would respect each other's political beliefs and live peacefully together. In reality, however, political ideas divide friends, family and even couples and married people. If you and your partner have completely opposite political views, you may be convinced that your relationship is doomed to fail. Fortunately, you have the ability to handle these differences by respecting yourself, looking at the positives, and accepting your disagreement.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Show Respect
Step 1. Pay attention to the tone you use
When conflicts arise, people tend to take offense because each has the impression that the other is disrespectful. It often happens when you raise your voice or use an aggressive tone. However, resentment can be curbed by avoiding arrogant attitudes.
- When you start to get nervous and hostile, temporarily interrupt the conversation, saying something like, "I have to take a little break. I'm starting to get angry and I don't want to say things I don't think or express in an acrimonious way."
- By abandoning the discussion with these words, you will show respect and prevent it from turning into a bad fight.
Step 2. Don't involve anyone else
Don't drag other people into political conflicts with your partner. You also don't have to discredit his ideas when he is absent, particularly with your children. Instead of exacerbating the problem by involving someone else, avoid reporting your speech to third parties.
- You can talk about politics with your children, but just explain your ideas, especially if they are different from their father's. Stick to the basics and just report the facts.
- If friends or relatives want to discuss politics, simply reply, "I don't like talking about this with friends and family, so let's discuss something else." By calmly expressing your opinion, you will be able to carry on and keep your relationship intact.
Step 3. Avoid taking offense
It often happens to hear exponents of the right and left insulting each other, especially during debates. However, it is unacceptable if it happens in a couple. Even if you have differing political opinions, you should avoid taking offense and throwing low blows to be convincing.
Remember that politics is not black or white, good or bad terrain: in reality, it is characterized by many gray areas. Don't judge a person's beliefs or character simply based on their political positions. It will not necessarily agree with every current in a party. People and political ideas are complex, so you can't mix everything up
Step 4. Learn to listen instead of speaking
During discussions, people hardly ever listen as they should. They simply wait for the interlocutor to stop talking so they can intervene. If you don't pay attention to your partner's speech, you risk misunderstanding and hurting their feelings. To avoid this danger, he listens to everything he has to say and then replies.
- You will likely have to practice and call upon all your strength to maintain self-control and resist the urge to defend your point of view before the other person has finished speaking. However, if you acquire this skill, you may find that your arguments don't always lead to arguments.
- You can also invite your partner to do the same. Try saying, "I'll do my best to pay attention to what you have to say before I express my opinion. I think if we can listen to each other, we might understand each other better."
- If he brings up a topic you don't know, tell him honestly: "I don't have much information on this subject, so I can't comment, but I'll try to update myself."
Step 5. Don't forget how important your relationship is
In all of this, remember how you feel about the other person. There is a reason you are together. Instead of replying with stinging answers, think about how much you love each other and ask yourself if you should put a strain on your relationship just to have the last word.
Take a deep breath and pause the conversation momentarily to prevent a disagreement from turning into a sleazy exchange of offenses. Rather, be a mature person and realize that your relationship is more important than any political event
Part 2 of 3: Look on the Good Sides
Step 1. Pay attention to what you have in common
Despite the differences of opinion, you will certainly get along well in other respects. Even if it's small nuances, it's something you can move on to. Use this common ground to confront each other with respect.
For example, you might say, "I know we disagree on this topic, but we share the same views when we talk about something else. Let's focus on what unites us rather than what divides us." Considering the positives, you will be able to make more fruitful speeches and hopefully you will not collide
Step 2. Appreciate that your significant other has their own thoughts and ideas
Even if you don't share his point of view, at least you have a partner who is informed and feels able to express what he thinks.
- You probably wouldn't like to have someone by your side who fits your thinking and agrees with your every single opinion. Be grateful that she doesn't follow the crowd and that she feels free to speak, even if she has opinions that come out of the crowd.
- A friend or partner with different political views is a great opportunity to test your open-mindedness. Instead of arguing for the sake of disagreeing, try to capitalize on your differences. Take advantage of the information it offers you and use it to learn something.
Step 3. Learn to discuss in a "healthy" way
If your partner disagrees with what you say, you have the opportunity to learn to respect yourself. You can understand how to carry on an exchange of views without transcending the insult and taking away the word. This way, you will also be able to cope in other situations, such as at work or in the family.
As you express your thoughts, be careful not to raise your voice and keep calm. Also, avoid using a scornful tone and try to address the other person in the way you would like them to speak to you. If you feel that you are disrespectful, point this out politely so that he can understand why his words or attitudes were inappropriate and hopefully they will never repeat
Part 3 of 3: Accept the Disagreement
Step 1. Avoid talking about it
If you have gotten to the point of not being able to discuss politics without arguing fiercely, you must necessarily avoid the subject. Promise not to talk about it for a while and decide how long this break will last. Once finished, maybe you can go back to confronting each other.
- To cut it off, you might say, "I think we need to stop talking about politics for a while. I feel like we're exaggerating, but I love you too much to let our differences ruin the relationship."
- By explaining that this decision is motivated by the fact that you are concerned about your relationship, you will show that you care about his health and that you do not intend to jeopardize what you have built together.
Step 2. Support your partner as he tries to develop his beliefs
He is likely to support a certain political party, but in the meantime he may develop very personal ideas. If you support him without expressing criticism or judgment, you can help him become aware of his values and his political thinking.
- Being in a relationship is about helping your partner improve. Let him know that you support him and put aside your personal opinions, unless asked for.
- For example, you might say, "Although we have different opinions, I appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to analyze your political beliefs. I am willing to support you and help you in any way possible." By encouraging his growth and efforts, you will let him know that you can take a step back and focus on the most important things.
Step 3. Avoid bad mouthing the political views of others
If you have two different political views, he probably won't want to know what you think about people who have opposing views to yours. Not only will they think you are criticizing them, but they may also find your disrespect towards those who don't think like you offensive.
- Instead, avoid commenting when someone expresses a different political thought, especially if it's a hot topic for your partner.
- By not criticizing his political beliefs, you can also ask him not to offend yours. Mutual respect can allow you to strengthen your relationship.
Step 4. Look to the future
Once the waters have calmed down, it is difficult for your relationship to be conditioned by initiatives or events of a political nature. You will probably continue your life as usual and enjoy the moments you spend together. You will hardly talk about politics again until the next elections. Remember that if a heated debate arises.
