At one point in our lives, we will end up having political discussions with friends or family. Some people might even end up cutting ties with those who disagreed with them. The question here is, why? Why do people choose not to talk to others solely based on their political beliefs? 

Over the past couple of years, the polarization in American politics has reached levels never imagined. Almost every discussion leaves people divided and thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has gotten worse. 

When an anonymous student was asked whether or not they would be friends with someone who disagreed with them politically.

They stated, “No. Politics align with morals. Why would I be friends with someone who believes that certain people don’t deserve rights? Why would I be friends with someone who disagrees with me when I say poor people shouldn’t starve?”

The idea here is that if you believe in something politically, then you most likely believe in it personally. One of the most recent examples could be gay marriage. If you do not support it legally, then chances are you do not support it personally either. You might not want to be friends with others whose ideas you think make them a bad person. 

Another anonymous person was asked the same question– whether or not they would be friends with someone who disagreed with them politically, 

They said, “It depends on the way they can handle a disagreement and can achieve the golden rule which everyone forgets.”

Having political discussions with friends and family could be fine if you both know not to get very serious. Never taking anything personally and learning to respect each other could lead to healthy disagreements between people. 

A research study conducted by Pew Research center showed that for the 2020 election, a large majority of voters from both sides thought that the country would be in deep trouble if the opponent won the election. It seems as people thought there was more at stake in this election compared to older ones. 

Disagreements between friends and family are bound to happen. Whether it’s about politics or ice cream flavors, conflicts are almost inevitable. Realizing that it is simply a disagreement can lead to healthy discussions.