Pass the politics: How to talk to your friends, family and colleagues this election season

The 2024 election is quickly approaching, and with it, plenty of opportunities to talk politics—whether you want to or not. Even the politics-wary folks in our state are taking an interest with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. And after November 5, the holidays will be just around the corner with plenty of opportunities to rehash the campaign and election results with ALL your relatives. ’Tis the season when political conversations with your friends, family and coworkers are inevitable. Let’s talk about how you can approach and navigate these conversations more thoughtfully to make them less painful, and hopefully, more enlightening.

Approach political conversations with clear intentions and curiosity.

Most importantly, set proper expectations for yourself. If your goal is to change someone’s vote or mind when you talk politics with them, you’re likely setting yourself up to fail. A more realistic goal is to explain the “why” behind your votes or your views. Your “why” is often a personal experience or perspective, and that personal angle is going to be more interesting and compelling to whoever you’re talking to. While you may not change their mind, they may at least appreciate and understand where you’re coming from better than before.

The world is complicated and nuanced, and rarely are we as black and white in our thinking as political polls and pundits would have us believe. Lean into curiosity and take advantage of the opportunity to learn something about someone else. Their experiences, views or ideas can be compelling without making your own perspective less so. Embrace it.

Know your boundaries.

We all have friends and family members, or even colleagues, who bring out the worst in us – you can choose not to engage with them on political issues. Similarly, if you can’t have a rational discussion about your personal hot-button topic, choose not to take the bait on that issue.

While you may have no hesitation talking to someone about an issue, it’s important to recognize that someone else may be uncomfortable talking about politics. What may be an intellectual topic for you could be an emotional topic for someone else. Know and appreciate the difference.

Avoid comments that assume agreement among a crowd.

Even if you think something you’re saying is totally non-controversial or has universal agreement, it may not. Making statements like this can cause someone who disagrees with you to feel like they can’t express their opinion openly.

Read the room.

Some people are simply not comfortable discussing politics, even if you’re approaching the conversation with respect and curiosity. Pay close attention to a person’s body language if your end-of-meeting chatter veers toward politics. Take a hint from non-verbal cues that someone’s not interested in engaging. Your friend or family member may be comfortable enough with you to tell you to zip it. Your coworker probably isn’t.

Respectful discourse is a hallmark of democracy.

Exchanging ideas, discussing candidates and debating issues can be contentious. But it doesn’t have to be painful. Hopefully some of these tips can help you reframe how you approach these conversations to make them more productive and enjoyable this election season.