The political filled question of ‘who are you voting for?’ has been haunting thousands of millennials.
For many, this is the first presidential election that we are casting our vote in. Today, politics is talked about more than ever. Unfortunately, discussing whom we will vote for can sometimes bring judgments and disagreements. So, what do you do when the person that you’re dating doesn’t have the same political belief as you? This can be tricky because this is a person that you typically find easy to get along with, logical and understanding.
It can be tough getting through a relationship during a presidential election season, but Her Campus is here to help you figure it out.
First, have the conversation with your significant other (SO) and see where they stand in politics. If you find your views to be different, don’t immediately shut their ideas off. It is only natural to criticize others who do not have the same beliefs as you, but criticizing can lead to arguing.
You should ask yourself, “Does my political stance define who I am?” You need to know yourself and if politics play a role in how you want others to see you. Answering this question will allow you to dictate if politics truly matters in your relationship with your SO.
Conflict is a part of every relationship and millions of couples across the nation argue each election season at the topic on hand. If you find that you and your SO continuously get into arguments over different political views, cut the discussion all together. Respect each other’s viewpoints and focus on other matters within your relationship. Finding out how your SO handles touchy subjects in your relationship can help you gauge for conversations in the future. Seeing how your SO handles a specific situation, especially one as sensitive as politics, can either give you doubt or high hopes for the status of your relationship.
If you are accepting of each other’s political views, find a way to have a healthy conversation about politics where you are building each other up rather than tearing each other down. Take time to reflect on what is being said between the candidates rather than your opinion of what is being said. You might find that you are both passionate about the same issue. This is called bridge building and can create intimacy in your relationship.
At the end of the day you and your SO are the ultimate decider if you are going to make things work despite political differences. If you are determined to make a relationship work, then it will. Keep in mind that having a difference of opinion when it comes to politics is OK, and chances are you will not agree about every single thing in a relationship.
This political season is heated more than ever but that doesn’t mean it has to be between you & your SO.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathlyn-and-gay-hendricks/how-to-handle-po…
https://www.google.com/search?q=republican+party+democratic+party&espv=2…