HOW TO CREATE PEACE IN AN INFLAMED POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
Regardless of what side of the political spectrum you are on—or if you even align with one side—I believe everyone living in America can agree on one thing: we all desire a peaceful world and environments for ourselves and our loved ones. It is scary and disappointing to see this incredible divide that has been created in our Country, and even scarier and more disappointing to see this divide separating friends, respected colleagues, and families. So, what can we do? How can we, in our own little ways, help to soften this political environment? And if we feel so strongly about a topic, should we allow it to separate us from people who don’t agree? Here are my thoughts and approach to navigating this challenging landscape.
Keep politics out of the workplace. I’ve been hearing more and more that people are having discussions about politics with their colleagues, including conversations between leaders and their team members. An internal energy is created when we talk about politics because political topics are often very personal for us. The workplace is not a space for political viewpoint exploration. It is critical that people feel comfortable and safe in their workplace, and keeping politics outside of the workplace is a measure to ensure that comfort and safety. My advice to anyone who hears rumblings of political conversations at work is to not engage. If you’re not part of or invited into the conversation, try to tune it out. Taking a break and stepping outside (if you are able) might be helpful if you notice internal responses occurring within yourself due to overhearing these conversations. If political conversations in the office are impacting you or others, I encourage you to talk to your management team about the distraction. When addressing management, aim to have the conversation when you are feeling emotionally balanced, and focus on the facts: political conversations are occurring and creating an uncomfortable distraction.
Don’t try to be the spokesperson for your political side. Your viewpoint is right for you, but it’s not going to be right for everyone; that is just the reality. I am a person who has very strong feelings about most things in life, but I know that while what I see and believe is clearly right for me, it is the same for others on the opposite side. There will be people in your life whom you love and respect who will think differently from you regarding politics. When you learn that someone you care about thinks the opposite of you, try to not alter your opinion or feelings about them simply because they think differently. Instead, get curious about their perspective. It can be healthy to have political conversations from alternative vantage points if all parties are willing to have the conversation while being open and respectful to the other side. If you are involved in a conversation that is escalating, work on your own emotional regulation and try to bring the conversation to a close. Move forward by focusing on topics that nurture the relationship to re-secure a space of comfort and support.
Some topics just shouldn’t be discussed. If you want your viewpoints to be respected and not judged, you need to be prepared to respect and not judge the opposite side. If there are topics that are too sensitive for you to exercise respect and create a judgement free space for the other side, you should practice not discussing these topics. They are not in your “tree of trust and understanding” (for all my fellow Old School fans). You might find it necessary in certain relationships to simply state that, out of respect for the relationship, you wish to avoid the topic of politics. This can be challenging, but we only have the conversations we allow.
Social media algorithms create robots—don’t be a robot. The platforms we use, and the phones attached to us have one main function: learn what you like and give you more of it. While this might be a super helpful tool when shopping for home décor, it’s terrifying to have only one information stream when forming opinions and thoughts on important issues. The best way to ensure you aren’t only ingesting one set of information is to avoid engaging with suggested content. When something pops up as being suggested for you, don’t click on the article, ad, or video. Think of the algorithm like a puppy. Every time you click on something it offers, it’s like you’re saying, “Oh, what a good algorithm, you did such a good job.” Instead, intentionally search for news from multiple credible sources and always explore alternative viewpoints. Evaluate everything you read and consider how issues might impact others who are in different economic positions from you.
Don’t confuse “opponent” with “enemy.” We’ve become concerned with “beating” the other side. The other side of any side includes our own people. What we need to be deeply concerned about is coming together to work for the common good. Children are taught to be kind, considerate, and accepting, yet a significant number of adults behave like feral animals when it comes to politics. Grace, consideration, and polish are slipping away from the political space, and it’s up to each person individually to take some level of responsibility to right the ship. Our strength as a Nation lies in our unity and our ability to work together despite our differences. The very things that make America special are our freedoms and our diversity; we should all be working with tenacity to secure these values.
Be part of the solution in soothing the political space and strive to be a positive reflection of this incredible place we are privileged to call home. There are plenty of things we should be against, but we should not be against each other.
If you are struggling with frustrations about our political environment, consider partnering with a therapist to discuss and process your feelings. If you are struggling to find help, I would be happy to provide referrals in OH, FL, NY, CT, or RI.
—Shannon Stein
