Can We Be Friends?

[Left Coast]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

 

[Nakosis]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

Sure, my son and a majority of my wife's family. We usually don't discuss politics. Life is much more peaceful without it.

 

[Estro Felino]

Yes...I tend to befriend leftists IRL

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I do love conservatives. I remember the Bush ~ Gore election, I liked them both. But you asked about every day people so...

Yes, I think there are a few cuddly right-wings here.

 

[Shad]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

There is unspoken rule at least around my friends and myself. We do not talk about politics or religion mostly. I have no idea how they vote, they have no idea how I vote. My friendships form based on common ground outside both.

Mostly as in when the topic comes up it is usually a question about something rather than a debate between views.

 

[Jollybear]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

My father in law is a extreme left wing thinker. Hes a demacratic socialist.

I am a libertarian. Me and him disagree, strongly. But, we still get along.

However, i make no bones about telling him "i can still like you despite your wrong views. You can even be free to believe it. The problem lays in if most people start agreeing with you, then our country will be destroyed and if that happens, SOMEONE BETTER PAY!

 

[usfan]

I have no problem keeping a discussion on concepts, but if i am personally reviled for my opinions, i feel no compunction to take it passively.

It likely escalates the polemy, but being a target for one way arcade shooters is no better.

I prefer reason and civil discourse, but the explosion of antifa style heckling from the left has intensified the polemy, and made rational discussion nearly impossible.

I adapt, and live in the world how it is, not how i wish it would be.

That said, i get along fine with leftists and anti-christian people in the world. They are usually civil in person, it is the anonymity of the internet that allows them to throw off all constraints of civility and etiquette.

We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves. ~John Locke

 

[Revoltingest]

I swing both ways....several ways, actually, regarding the politics of friends.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

I got into a pretty nasty argument with a friend yesterday who asked "how can you be friends with these people?" She gave that same aligned ideology type of response, tried to twist who my other friends are, and I found out I can get a bit nasty at a friend when it comes to defending another friend. The other friend, we don't see eye to eye on several issues, but our friendship wasn't formed on politics.

 

[Left Coast]

That said, i get along fine with leftists and anti-christian people in the world. They are usually civil in person, it is the anonymity of the internet that allows them to throw off all constraints of civility and etiquette.

Yes, I feel the same about right-wingers and Christian fundamentalists. Internet balls are a real thing.

 

[Left Coast]

There is unspoken rule at least around my friends and myself. We do not talk about politics or religion mostly. I have no idea how they vote, they have no idea how I vote. My friendships form based on common ground outside both.

Mostly as in when the topic comes up it is usually a question about something rather than a debate between views.

This is probably wise, at least with some friends. I pretty much know how all my friends vote, since it's a topic of interest to me. But if they're not very political people or I know we don't agree, we just don't talk about it much.

Of course with apolitical friends I do encourage them to become more political, but in a nice way.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Yes...I tend to befriend leftists IRL

Awesome. I didn't expect this from you.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I have friends of almost all political persuasions. At this point, I'd label myself a libertarian conservative. The only people I refuse to be friends with are outright hate-mongers and bigots.

 

[Shiranui117]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

Yes, my family and my friends. My family is right-wing, my close friends are either moderates, politically disengaged yet center-left, and some of my online friends are even Antifa-supporting types. I'm center-left and talk most about politics with my family because our lives are all boring and there isn't much else to talk about, plus they at least respect me as a person even if we disagree on things and they do a good job of criticizing the positions I hold while not making any digs against my personal character. I don't talk politics with my friends because we're all just done with life and would like to talk about more fun and less stressful things.

 

[Audie]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

If I were not, I'd have nobody to talk to!

 

[Enoch07]

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

I've never had a problem with it. A person's politics don't define them, or at least it shouldn't. Some people can't separate a persons politics from the person. I don't mind having opposing opinions, discussing/debating them etc. Though with the surge in identity politics (on both the left and the right) lately this has become problematic. As the whole point of identity politics is a person's identity is center of policy. So it's harder to separate an identitarian from their politics.

 

[David1967]

I have been fortunate to have had a fairly diverse friend group politically throughout my life. In my teen years, I was a conservative surrounded by conservative Christian family and culture, but I was still good friends with a number of people who were on the left. We would argue about politics, but it never changed my positive feelings about them as a person and a friend.

Other people don't seem to agree. To them it is inconceivable that they would be friends with anyone who doesn't generally align with them politically. Several years ago I remember a relative saying he couldn't be friends with anyone who wasn't pro-life, and I remember thinking how odd that was.

It seems to me that we could resolve some of the political hatred in the world if we opened ourselves up to the possibility of befriending people with a different political persuasion.

How about you? Are you friends with anyone with whom you disagree politically?

Lots of my friends have different views than me. I like it that way. Diverse views give us stuff to talk about.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

If I were not, I'd have nobody to talk to!

You could talk to me, I'm apolitical.

(We would have to avoid discussing evolution, though! Lol.)

 

[Audie]

You could talk to me, I'm apolitical.

(We would have to avoid discussing evolution, though! Lol.)

No prob, it has never been a discussion.
I probably would enjoy your company.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

I have no problem keeping a discussion on concepts, but if i am personally reviled for my opinions, i feel no compunction to take it passively.

It likely escalates the polemy, but being a target for one way arcade shooters is no better.

I prefer reason and civil discourse, but the explosion of antifa style heckling from the left has intensified the polemy, and made rational discussion nearly impossible.

I adapt, and live in the world how it is, not how i wish it would be.

That said, i get along fine with leftists and anti-christian people in the world. They are usually civil in person, it is the anonymity of the internet that allows them to throw off all constraints of civility and etiquette.

We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves. ~John Locke

Well said. 180 degrees off course, but well said.

Allow me to make a few corrections....
=========================

I have no problem keeping a discussion on concepts, but if i am personally reviled for my opinions, i feel no compunction to take it passively.

It likely escalates the polemy, but being a target for one way arcade shooters is no better.

I prefer reason and civil discourse, but the explosion of right-wing media style heckling from the right has intensified the polemy, and made rational discussion nearly impossible.

I adapt, and live in the world how it is, not how i wish it would be.

That said, i get along fine with righties and “Christian” people in the world. They are usually civil in person, it is the anonymity of the internet that allows them to throw off all constraints of civility and etiquette.

We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves. ~John Locke
========================
There ya go.



In all seriousness though, almost all of my friends (and all of my (direct) family) tend to be in academic circles; so as a group, our political outlooks tend to be based upon facts, science, economic reality, historically accurate military and sociological concepts, etc... Therefore, we almost always agree on political ideas and ideals.

When a friend might suggest something in opposition to such groundings, one of two outcomes occurs...
1. “How could you suggest that? You’re joking of course.”. “No? Then what about.....(here, a long discussion occurs in which the incorrect person is given all of the facts to consider). I will of course, continue to be their friend, but they had better come equipped with a grasp of reality, if they wish to broach that subject again.
Good discussions have ensued.

or
2. “How could you suggest that? Never mind. I don’t want to get into that right now.” Friendship remains intact.