This is a guest blog submitted by sahar.I recently got into
a heated discussion with a guy friend about the capitalized healthcare
policy in America. We both had very strong opposing opinions, and by
the end of the argument, I was so annoyed with him that I
couldn't stand to be around him, knowing his views on politics and
government.
That got me thinking about two old friends of mine
who have been dating for almost three years now - she's a free loving
liberal and he's a Catholic conservative. I'm sure they've gotten into
serious arguments, but they continue to love each other as if there were no
difference.
I wonder if I would be able to be in a relationship
with someone whose political ideals clashed with mine. I'm not sure I
could handle that - I tend to have strong opinions when it comes to politics.
Would you be able to date someone who was at the opposite side of the spectrum, or is politics not an issue for you?
Recommend
Comments (29)
well if i'm really in love with the person then I could put up with our political differences. We would just have to not mention anything political (which is difficult for me). I am very liberal. I'm not sure I could be in a relationship with a conservative republican
My brother is a hard core republican. And all you need to do is say you're a democrat (or heaven forbid a liberal independent) and all of sudden he'll be yelling at you and trying to start a huge debate. Despite this I still manage to get along with him and love him more then anyone in my family.
I don't think politics are a HUGE deal to me, but I do have my own opinions, and I expect for them to be respected just like I'll respect everyone else's. If I don't necessarily agree with my SO's views or a friend's view, I wouldn't go crazy and punch them on the face for not agreeing with me. Everyone is different, and although I might not agree with them, I'd respect them 'till the end. But, I do think sometimes it gets annoying, which is why I tend to stay out of conversations, in which I'm not too familiar with both sides of the story.
@xxmusicxxfreak@xanga - lol that's funny. democrat=all hell breaks loose lol
Ja I stay away from conversations in which I'm not too familiar with. I also tend to not speak about political stuff most of the times, but I do have my own views. I've gotten upset at my friends for being "stubborn" lol but you know maybe I'm being the stubborn one. As far as my SO, I respect her views just like she respects mine. We really don't think it's worth to start fighting over it.
@XxNoLifeKing_AlucardxX@xanga - You laugh now but you wouldn't be laughing if you were stuck in a room with him.
He's nuts.
It's totally ridiculous how politics makes some people so crazy.
I haven't been up to date with politics. That's not to say that I don't care about 'em. I think that in a relationship, you gotta put differences aside and respect each other. You can also respect your friends for their views, but I think sometimes it's harder. I had this teacher who kept giving you a degrading look whenever you didn't agree with him. I heard someone idolize Charles Manson, and they absolutely thought that they were right for it. Another professor thought that marriage between cousins wasn't consider incest just because it wasn't like a brother and sister. He didn't care about first cousins either. While, I might not agree with them, I choose to ignore them and stay away from stuff like that because sometimes they're just looking for you to get out of your shell and start acting just like them.
Short answer: NO.
Long answer: There is absolutely no way I could be with someone who sanctioned stealing my money at gunpoint to stick half in the pockets of the elite and use the other half to poke and prod me into the smallest, tightest box possible, with increasingly fewer liberties.
@xxmusicxxfreak@xanga - Oh, I'm not laughing to say you're crazy or it's just funny business. I have cousins and brothers who are crazy about their own stuff too. And being the youngest doesn't help as they think they're ABSOLUTELY right and will overpower you, which never happens but they still get crazy.
I'm a very political person. I'm registered Republican but lean Libertarian. I've only been in long term relationships with Democrats. Anytime that I've tried to date a Republican, I got annoyed because we agreed on everything. A little debate adds spice to a relationship
@XxNoLifeKing_AlucardxX@xanga - haha yeah it's exactly the same with me. Most of my cousins are like that too and I am much younger then all of them. It's almost pointless to argue back.
@xxmusicxxfreak@xanga - yea, I find it futile to argue back with someone so narrow minded. And then comes the grudges hahah
I'm not THAT political so it wouldn't bother me, but if my bf was religious, that would be a deal breaker for both of us (we've talked about this). He's an atheist and I'm a fence sitting agnostic, if he was super christian/catholic and preached about church or the belief, I'd go bonkers. I know I have strong opinions about religion and I don't think I'd punish somebody else to put up with that. That's not fair.
In reference, if we had opposing views politically or religiously or even socially (in theory and thought) it won't work for me. It won't feel the same.
having debates are great because they stimulate the mind. but no need to start shouting at each other because in the end it really doesn't matter. it's not like you have the power to change the world in the morning. take it easy and just enjoy the conversation.
with that in mind i'd rather not be involved with someone that has a polar opposite philosophy that was uber pushy. it's like being around a jesus freak shoving their rhetoric down your throat. no offense to any jesus freaks out here.
hmm well my last relationship was with someone who had very different religious views than me, and that caused it to completely crash and burn. I think that if both people can respect and be tolerant of the other person's views then it can possibly work, but otherwise no.
It depends if I still think he's a good person at the end of the day. If not, he's gone.
well sometimes the debates doesnt have to be yelling and proving a point. It can just be a loooong intense discussion, where by the end of the day both parties respect each other's choice.
i kind of see it as an interracial relationship. both parties will have different opinions of certain things, but in the end they still love each other.
I am far too passionate about politics to date somebody who is on the opposite side of the spectrum. I've always made an effort to respect opinions that are different than mine but it is an EFFORT. My politics are deeply connected to my ideologies and views of life in general and so I think I would have a hard time sharing my life with somebody who was ideologically opposed to me.Â
Thankfully, my current boyfriend is fairly apathetic when it comes to politics. I tell him how it is and he appeases me by intermittently saying, "Yeah, definitely,". It works for us, by not getting worked up along with me, he helps me keep a cool political head; something which I usually lack.Â
Rule # 8,131. Don't talk about politics early on in dating. It's bound to cause conflict.
If you can respect a person's differing opinion then you can make the relationship work. The problem I've run into with dating and politics is, not necessarily the differing opinion just that the person doesn't really have a reason for thinking they way they do about something. And I run into issues with this even when technically our political opinions are the same. I don't care that you disagree, just have reasons why you feel a certain way. Nothing more annoying than a person who is "politically" opinionated but doesn't give reasons or any support of why they feel that way.
Debating politics with someone who knows what he/she is talking about is great. You can debate with someone without getting into an argument with him/her.
I'm not as politically inclined as some, but there are a few points I'm relatively knowledgeable about and that I will speak up for. I think I'd be able to go out with someone who disagrees with me politically, though I can't speak with absolute certainty.
i could, just as long as they're not shoving their views down my throat
I find it a turn on when people think different than me.
While I can look past some things, there are certain political issues that I feel very strongly about and I'm not sure I could date someone who disagreed, because if they disagree, to me that says something about their character and moral fiber that I don't want to be involved with.
I don't think it's that big of a deal if someone has different opinions and views than you do. Isn't that what America is all about? Being able to be free and different? So someone has different opnions than you do, that's life.
You just need to respect that person's beliefs in order to get along. And vise versa.
don't talk about politics when dating. Â BUT, NEVER date a republican. Â