It’s that time of year. The time where you spend most of your time at family events, and we all have that one relative who is very opinionated. It’s hard to navigate these family events when politics are involved. In my family, we are very divided when it comes to politics, my sister and I are the only democrats. With my many years of heated debates and bruised egos, I’ve found two strategies to survive the political battlefield of the holiday season.
One way to make it out of the holidays alive is to straight up avoid politics altogether. There are a million other discussion topics, I like bringing up embarrassing stories about my siblings to spite them and see how red their faces get. You can talk about anything, and if the conversation starts to turn political you can try to divert it. If that doesn’t work just say you would prefer not to discuss politics. Depending on your family, avoiding the topic may be the best option.
If your family is anything like mine, we can’t go one family gathering without politics coming up. Being from a republican family it’s hard to have a discussion where I don’t get labeled as the “liberal snowflake.” I myself have gone into many debates unprepared and got backed into a corner. Educate yourself more, start backing up your opinions with facts. Figure out where you stand on current issues and find one you are passionate about. Find the balance between being dedicated to something you love and being close minded to everything else. Try to understand where other people are coming from, but don’t tolerate disrespect. Debating with relatives can be tricky (since most of them are older than you) but don’t be discouraged. The most important thing is to be confident in what you believe in. If you don’t know something, own up to it. You’re just going to make yourself look uninformed and ignorant if you try to make things up.
Discussing politics can be hard, especially with relatives. Trying to avoid the debate can be tricky, if that doesn’t work use these tips to help you get through it unscathed. Just remember that no matter what differences your family has, the holiday season is all about spending time together.
story by darci simmons, graphic by kaitlyn jansen
