Just as a counterpoint to the various political threads that seem to be causing our esteemed members to argue with each other...
How do you get on with people that are completely opposite to you?
Do you have a way of dealing with it? Or would you rather only have people around you that basically see things in the same way?
My best friend is the exact opposite from me politically, but somehow we seem to knock along and be able to listen to each other’s point of view even if we don’t always agree.
It feels to me that these days there’s an enormous amount of debate (especially online), but no meeting of minds whatsoever.
Just more and more polarisation...
We can’t all be right and we can’t all be wrong, so where’s the common ground to be found?
Interesting questions. I've found that there's a lot to be said for having a diverse friend group. I'm in my mid-forties, and I've actively sought out and maintain friendships with people both much older and much younger than me, and in assorted places all around the world. Mixing with people with a very wide range of experiences and ideas does a lot to broaden your horizons, and see how other people have responded to their circumstances.
I know this might seem a bit odd to some people, but I actually have a lot of pen-pals, of the old-fashioned, letters through the post kind. It's actually a very interesting way to interact with people, because it's quite reflective and slow, and it encourages people to talk about their ideas and experiences in-depth. It's been interesting to hear what Americans make of Trump, what Poles make of Law and Justice and what Germans make of AfD this way.
I've also been surprised by the way people of certain political persuasions have acted. My mother-in-law is a centre-left social democratic type, who is gay and is therefore very into diversity, equality and inclusion. She is, however, extremely biased and unpleasant towards people she disagrees with, has a very mean and unpleasant sense of humour, and is generally quite nasty, however much she tries to make out she's a beacon of light and progressiveness. My wife's uncle is a hardcore Tory and very enthusiastic Brexiteer, politics which are completely opposed to mine, and some of his social attitudes are what you might call "old fashioned", but a more generous and loving man, you'd struggle to meet.
As others have said, though, if you're openly racist, homophobic or excessively bigoted in any other way, I don't want anything to do with you.
