• Home
  • Individual Counseling
    • Anxiety Therapy NYC
    • Depression Treatment NYC
    • Job and Career Support in NYC
    • Substance Use Disorder Counseling NYC
  • Couples & Parents
    • Marriage Counseling and Couples Counseling NYC
    • Parenting Counseling NYC
  • Blog
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • FAQs
  • About
    • Meet Diane Spear
    • Manhattan, NYC Office Location
  • Contact

Diane Spear

licensed clinical social worker. Union Square & Greenwich Village, NYC therapist. 212.353.0296

Political Opposites? How to Keep Connecting & Communicating Openly

There was a time—not too long ago—when political differences were less polarizing. When connecting with a potential friend or partner, your respective political leanings would become known. If there were a chasm, it wouldn’t necessarily derail the connection. There was more room for differing opinions.

More recently, it feels as if the spectrum of political stances has gone haywire. It’s far more in flux, and individuals are not so easy to predict. As a result, relationships formed before these changes may become strained or people may become estranged.

What Happened?

This is not something brand new. Talk to anyone who became estranged from friends and family during the Vietnam War or right after 9/11. But things have accelerated lately.

A major player in all this confusion is social media. Thanks to those mysterious algorithms, opinions can be manipulated in real-time. On top of that, disinformation—from all sides—is a catalyst for division. But, what happens when you and someone you know and love no longer agree on some core issues?

How to Keep Connecting & Communicating Openly Despite Political Differences

It comes down to being able to disagree respectfully. This is a challenge but can be learned and refined over time—if both of you are willing to do the work. With that in mind, let’s start with a basic suggestion to avoid discussing certain topics.

You may not see this idea as feasible, but it could be quite helpful while you gather yourselves. Because, seriously, when was it decreed that any two people must agree on everything? Don’t see the avoiding of topics as denial but rather, find a way to focus on common ground.

Let’s say it’s your father-in-law with whom you could wage a political war. You could fight every time you see each other. Needless to say, other options exist, such as:

  • Have someone declare a moratorium on controversial topics at family gatherings.
  • You can block him on social media and be civil in person.
  • Prepare an exit strategy in advance for yourself in case things get tense.

You can find all the political flame wars you want online, but why? Your life will be much more balanced and satisfying if you consciously choose to behave differently, especially in your face-to-face interactions.

Speaking of Face-to-Face Interactions

If you find yourself unexpectedly and frustratingly at odds with someone you love, you do not have to view this as a crisis. If you see such a stance as more important to you than any relationship, you have the right to enforce it. Of course, each of us is allowed to have deal-breaker beliefs.

However, when you step back and survey the landscape, these sacrosanct beliefs are rare. More often than not, you’ll want to salvage the connection. Here are some tips for doing so:

  • Prioritize frequent, face-to-face interactions. You can understand anyone more completely when you factor in vocal tone, facial expressions, body language, etc.
  • Strengthen your foundation. What connected you in the first place? How can you work on that despite having differences in other parts of the structure?
  • Really listen to hear. Do so without interrupting or challenging. The goal is to understand what your loved one is truly feeling and thinking.
  • Set boundaries. As touched on above, you are not required to discuss topics that cause rifts.
  • Name your emotions. What do you feel when someone disagrees with you? Why does this emotion emerge?

When the political differences are between partners in a couple, couples therapy can be the ideal setting to lay the ground rules for handling these differences respectfully. I’d love to help you in this process. Click to learn more about couples counseling. Then contact me to schedule an appointment. 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

May 23, 2022 Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Blog Posts

  • Winning Is Everything! Or Is it?

  • Restoring the Passion: How to Bring Sex Back to Your Marriage

  • 5 Conflict Resolution Tips for Couples

  • What Productive Conflict Looks Like in a Healthy Relationship

  • Political Opposites? How to Keep Connecting & Communicating Openly

  • Financial Infidelity: What It Is & Why It’s Important to Be Financially Faithful

  • How to Know if You Are a Codependent Partner

  • How You Can Prepare Your Relationship for Empty Nest Stress

  • What Does It Mean to Be Financially Intimate?

  • Tying the Knot? What You & Your Partner Need to Know & Discuss

  • How to Make Time For the Money Talk Before You Move In Together

  • Still Having the Same Old Argument? Key Steps To Turn Things Around

  • Living Your Happily Ever After? Why Couples Counseling Matters Now

  • Dating Couples, Should You Focus on Friendship First?

  • Why You Should Avoid Comparing Your Relationship to Movie & TV Scripts

  • Despite the Pandemic, Thriving Couples Have These 3 Qualities in Common

  • Setting the Bar for Relationship Expectations In the Basement

  • Under Pressure? How to Overcome Internal & External Relationship Stress

  • COVID-19 Dating: New Rules of Engagement in the Age of Social Distancing

  • In the News: Quoted in March 13, 2018 Well + Good

Blog Categories

  • Marriage & Couples Counseling
  • Parenting
  • Anxiety & Trauma
  • Depression
  • Job & Career Support
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • General

Appointment Request Form

*Not for emergencies

    Location

    Located at the intersection of the Union Square, East Village, West Village, and Greenwich Village neighborhoods in Manhattan. Serving residents of all five boroughs of NYC and the tri-state area, and offering phone and online therapy nationally and internationally.

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Good Faith Estimate

    Contact

    Diane Spear, LCSW-R
    26 W. 9th Street, Suite 9E
    New York, NY 10011
    Phone: 212.353.0296

    Copyright © 2023 · Jane Theme By, Pretty Darn Cute Design