Politics and Friendship Together?

It is a common belief of many people that politics and friendship cannot always go together.  Just as making new friends can be a tricky business, mixing politics and friendship together can equally be tricky. During our first meeting with a potential friend, we know that talking about politics is a no-no. Small talks are safe so long as we stick away from politics. Other taboo topics include religion and sexuality. These topics can spark passionate debate which can apparently result to heated arguments if both sides cannot reconcile their views. All said, politics as a topic during initial stages of friendship could almost certainly bust a blooming friendship too soon.  Is this always the case? Is it always advisable that we should not engage into topics of politics with someone we just met? Or is it okay to bring up politics with the person you are planning to develop a good friendship and romance in the future? Can friendship develop between you and another person if you hate his or her political views? On the other hand, is it always necessary to have the same political views to attain full friendship?

In many countries today, starting a political topic can create very intense argument to even result in violence, in some extreme cases. Hence, the advice to avoid a topic about politics with a person you do not know still holds true in many cases. In spite of this, it also is not always the rule at all times. Many friendships start at political conventions attended by persons with varying political views. You may be surrounded by thousands of good people who have extreme political views, but you also stand a good chance of making new friendships as well as having a great time discussing opposing political views. In it not uncommon for many people to find themselves knowing a stranger deeply and only realizing later on that they have opposing political views. With the upcoming Australian Federal Election, many Australians will find themselves in many instances immersed in political discussions, but with the knowledge that their network of friends will be largely unaffected.

While most people are not extremely passionate about their political preferences, political opinions can still potentially break up friendships and even marriages, especially during the early stages. This is the real reason why it is generally accepted that politics should be avoided when talking with a stranger or a person you do not know well yet. For some cases, even close friends will opt not to discuss politics. It is a fact that there are some people who are not just tolerant of people with other views about politics. Thus, it is very challenging to forge genuine friendships or love if one party has an opposite political belief.

In spite of this phenomenon, some people still managed to make successful marriages and friendships even though both parties have different views. Is there a secret for these success stories? Successful friendships and marriages are possible even if two people have opposing political beliefs so long as they are not very passionate in their respective views. Other cases use their opposing views to spice up their marriage or friendship by constantly engaging in healthy debates. For this case, respect is high for both sides that even their political views cannot break their friendship apart. For most cases though, good friends that do not share the same political belief simply avoid engaging in any political discussions altogether.