Keeping Friendships Through the Election

By: Bailey Witter

Friendships are built around communication and understanding. Friends tell each other how they feel and what they believe, and when it comes to politics, it can be quite hard to be understanding toward one another. Political arguments can ruin friendships, so how can we state our beliefs without damaging relationships?

To start, it is important to remember that the political discussions you and your friends are having should not have the goal of “winning” the discussion. The goal is to create a better understanding, for each other. The realities of “winning” a political argument aren’t too great and usually end in both sides losing. It is also important to remember the backgrounds of the person before judging their political views. We all have different situations at home and different experiences in the world, so those experiences may influence our political views.

Current events happening in the world and politics are important to discuss among your peers, and the fact you may have opposing views should not restrict you from having those conversations. Arguments can easily be avoided among you and your friends if you remember to always be understanding towards one another and keep an open mind. Having these conversations with each other may just strengthen your respect for one another. When you have political discussions, it is important to remember the difference between politics and human rights. The outcome of this year’s election should not harm relationships, try to understand each other’s beliefs!