Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.
By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.
What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.
This week’s provocative question is one that Rory, the Autistic Composter, conducted a “mini-interview” of me where he asked a bunch of questions that I answered. You can read the interview with my answers here if you want to.
One of the questions he posed, and which I answered, intrigued me, especially given today’s giant political divide, not just in the U.S., but globally. So I thought I’d borrow Rory’s question to me, and ask it of all of you. Ready?
In your interpersonal relationships with acquaintances, friends, and family, are you able to separate political ideologies from the people who hold them? Why or why not?
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This, That, and the Other 
Like you also answered earlier this week – l used to be able to do that more readily when younger however as l have aged and become more ‘politically inclined’ especially to my my own core values and beliefs l find it harder at times to keep ‘schtum’ about things. So these days l tend to avoid the conflict and not have much to do with the opposing views.
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Yep. That course of action helps keep your blood pressure down.
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Blood pressure down and anxiety levels at bay, there is only so much imbecility l can take in a lifetime you know hahaha 🙂
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I was going to ask this same question in my Sunday poser!
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I suppose you still can! 😉
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It would mean people would answer the same question twice. I’ll need to rephrase it
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I try to avoid conflict, especially with people that I like if they have different views about certain subjects. That can sometimes be hard when they say things that annoy me but mostly I manage. I don’t like conflict anyway.
I remember a day when I couldn’t keep quiet. I was at the Op Shop where I volunteered and two men, one of whom I knew, were talking about climate change. He said he didn’t believe in it. They were talking to each other not me but I was so annoyed that I told him off anyway.
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This depends on the person. I am not afraid of, but rather welcome, intelligent discourse. There is only one relative I have split with, because he likes to mansplain notions which do not consist of even a distant relative of well considered ideology. If a person can at least be open minded and listen as well as speak, then I can engage. Otherwise, it seems a waste of my time and energy.
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Intelligent discourse with open-minded people is fine. But finding such people who are open-minded and willing to listen and discuss other perspectives seems to be harder and harder these days.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
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I don’t see people’s political views, unless they are so out there. I’m lucky, most of my family aren’t really into politics, so I don’t have to make that choice.
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I’m not sure I was ever able to detach “political” opinions from the person. I have always thought that peoples’ political values were intimately related to their core values — and I have never been able (maybe not even willing) to deal with people whose politics were truly antithetical to mine. I think I don’t see people as “segmented.” You are what you believe and what you believe is a direct reflection of who are ARE — and often a deeper reflection than you realize. I probably should have saved this for the post. Oops.
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I can’t disagree with you, however, I know of some people whose politics are antithetical to mine, but who are willing to leave such discussions off the table in my presence or who are able to discuss them both intelligently and with an open mind, and who will listen for understanding rather than for rebuttal. Unfortunately, in our very fractured socio-political atmosphere, such people are few and far between.
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And getting more rare by the minute — although the rejection of McCarthy in the house may be a subtle suggestion that there may be changes on the way. Not because of the far right GOPers, but because of the other bunch of Republicans who rejected him for exactly the opposite reason. Ironic that the Democratic runner got MORE votes than McCarthy.
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Here you go
https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2023/01/04/fandangos-provocative-question-197/
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People and their opinions are based on input from those they surround themselves with, and that helps them ‘fit in’ to the community of choice.
There are a few people in my life who hold opposing views on one thing or another, but if they make statements of fact that aren’t factual, I don’t see any reason to waste my time on them. Especially those who want to change my view but can’t provide adequate, if any, valid reason to listen. Life is too short.
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I totally agree. It is a waste of time to argue with people who ignore the facts…or who make up their own “facts.”
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… able to separate …
Sigh.
… separate political ideologies from the people who hold them… why not?
Depending on how extreme or active they are, I would wish to do so (if it’s a simple selection of this party or name or the other on major voting days). But I find I’m not able because picking that face (Trump) tends to be their entire identity — so they will separate themselves from me (not because I speak of it but because I don’t speak of it, and on their terms, to make them feel at home). On the other hand, just because I agree with someone on politics (as in tendency for voting) doesn’t mean I’d enjoy their company on a day-to-day basis. This also goes for various other aspects of preference in life. But, happily, I have people I agree with in terms of tendency for voting with whom I feel comfortable to speak my differences too (as well as hear theirs). So, in what I think is the spirit of the original question, to answer Why: because we understand freedom isn’t for the purpose of controlling the freedom of others (with the caveat of information and informed consent and free speech and basic sense rather than making a farce of so-called freedom).
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I am one of those people that when I know something, I can’t unknow it. I am okay with people if they can be honest. Its like when I “debate” with transphobes, I don’t agree with them, pretty much all, of the time. If they’re honest about their fears though, that I can work with. Twitter that doesn’t happen though, face to face that happens a lot more.
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It is becoming very difficult to tolerate people who believe the lies of politicians. If it’s close family or friends, I don’t talk politics with them.
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