How school is going, new job offers, relationships and new movies are good topics to talk about at the dinner table. However, politics is not so much a good topic to bring up in conversations currently. With how appalling it is to bring up anything to do with politics, it is not surprising how many people just avoid the topic altogether. Should politics really be treated so taboo to the point where it is forbidden in conversations?
No matter the setting– whether at home, in a classroom and especially at the dinner table– the common notion in conversations is to never mention anything about politics. It has become common to abandon a conversation if politics becomes its talking point, to the extent that there have been many instances where social media accounts have to apologize to their followers simply because they mentioned politics.
It is understandable why politics in conversations is such a contested topic. Political discussions can quickly turn into an emotional screaming match in the flash of an eye. People are emotionally driven with their political beliefs since they often reflect their personal values, morals and identity.
To put it this way, imagine a left leaning person having to go home on Thanksgiving to a family of people who do not see anything wrong with the Jan. 6 capitol attacks and even vice-versa, too.
That would be an awkward scenario to be in and that is why no one wants to bring politics up. The thought of losing family and friends over an election or political parties can be scary to some. So much so that it was found in 2016 by the Pew Research Center that 48% of Republicans and 45% of Democrats found even engaging in conversations with people they disagreed with were stressful to have.
However, politics is not something that should, or can, be avoided. People always have complaints about egg prices going up or gas prices being too high— things that have everything to do with politics. It is impossible to not take in mind how the world is going to be shaped by elections, and for that reason, it should not be taboo to mention politics. Instead, politics in conversations should be encouraged.
While difficult, discussing politics in conversations is an important way to find out where there could be some middle ground between opinions, resulting in opportunities to educate someone on what they could be wrong about.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with friends or family about something political, as that is always bound to happen. No one is going to have 100% the same thoughts on a matter, even if they are in the same political party.
Friendships might be broken and respect may have been lost as a result of political conversations, but fearing that a loved one may not accept an opinion and therefore refusing to speak about it takes away from what a belief is. Without wanting to express different beliefs, society can not grow.
The world needs to move away from treating politics as a taboo and start implementing it into conversations. From education to jobs, healthcare to personal rights, politics impact nearly every aspect of life. Not talking about politics will not make world and interpersonal issues away, but instead, it divides people further.
Of course, there is always a time and place for conversations involving politics, but the mere thought of talking about the topic should not be as taboo as it already is in our society. It will not be easy, but healthy voicing a political position to family and friends can open spaces of harmony, consideration and diversity, making more space for dialogue.
The sooner the world stops tugging at the collar whenever politics is brought up, the more space there is for important conversations that are much needed today.
