A House Divided? Handling Hot Political Discussions Without Getting Burned

Keep a long-term, relationship-focused perspective.

Here’s one key factor: no matter how upset others (or you) get when interacting about politics, keep a long-term-relationship perspective, and stay calm. You can be frustrated or grieved that your loved one seems so wrong (or blind, or difficult, or harsh, or deluded). But don’t get caught up in the moment in such a way that you will then add regret to those feelings. Resist the trap. Ask yourself: is this discussion worth a fractured relationship?

I have seen very few conversations that are so vital that they are worth that. Especially since I have almost never seen conversations that lead to the other person slapping their forehead and going, “Oh my gosh, you are so right, Uncle Frank! I hadn’t thought of it that way, and I’m changing my opinion and my vote.”

So if the other person—or you—is unlikely to have a fundamental change of mind about politics, let’s always at least keep the priority for the fundamental relationship front and center.