Are your friends of the same political opinion as yourself? (1 Viewer)

[Jon]

I have often wondered about how much friendship and commonality there is between people of different political persuasion. Essentially, at the underlying core, the values differ. Maybe there is overlap between the end goal, but the means to the end is different. Perhaps even the end goal itself differs considerably.

With the above in mind, where do your friendships lay? Are they more towards those of the same political persuasion as yourself, or is it a spread?

To answer the question myself, I have a complete mix. It becomes difficult if politics comes up because you can end in conflict. But I remember something that the Dali Lama once said:

When I meet people in different parts of the world, I am always reminded that we are all basically alike: we are all human beings.

There was a more relevant quote, which I cannot find, where he says that even if you think you are completely different to someone else you meet, you are essentially the same. All human beings have similar desires, needs and wants. That stuck with me.

 

[kevlray]

My close friends, yes they are of the same political opinion as myself (that I agree with them on all points). I have other friends (mostly co-workers) that have a wide variety of political opinions. I do not impose my political opinions on them.

 

[AccessBlaster]

I work for a public agency that is liberal at it's core, so I keep a very low political profile.

In the US you can be punished financially or academically for voting the "wrong" way.

Might explain why I rage on here!

 

[Jon]

You can let out your angst freely on here, and that includes Democrats! I understand your concern from being in a minority position. Imagine my situation, where I adopt the voting is futile argument for a national election. I get the wrath from both sides, thinking I am an idiot, ridiculous, irrational, lazy, uneducated, confused and repugnant. What they fail to realise is that I am actually right, the math is on my side, and they haven't properly thought through the issue like I have! I have yet to hear a sound argument for why it is rational for an individual to vote. If people enjoy voting, then you can say that is rational, but just don't fool yourselves into thinking it makes any difference whatsoever to the binary outcome.

 

[AccessBlaster]

ou can let out your angst freely on here, and that includes Democrats! I understand your concern from being in a minority position

I'm actually an independent voter that's willing to cross party lines, I look for more libertarian views but sadly they are far and in between.

 

[Isaac]

My wife is Hispanic, therefore many of our friends are hispanic, and they tend to vote Democrat. I have typically (with the exception of Trump) voted Republican and been more conservative. Since the specific issues "they" are voting 'on'...most personally being things related to immigration...being so personal in nature, (and in fact giving me a lot more sympathy and empathy for their plight), it's a situation I have to treat very carefully in conversation. I would say the most notable thing in this topic for me is that Trump brought me and them together in something, which was nice for a change.

 

[Jon]

We can be members of one party, but each issue has different weights. I can understand your perspective, @pisorsisaac@gmail.co.

 

[Isaac]

We can be members of one party, but each issue has different weights

Very true actually. Vast array of interests to be balanced.

 

[AccessBlaster]

My wife's parents were polar opposites politically speaking. They got along famously, except every 4-8 years...

 

[Jon]

Very true actually. Vast array of interests to be balanced.

There was a libertarian from the US, who ran for president, forget his name, wrote a book called How I found Freedom in an Unfree World. It talked about thinking traps, saying when you adopt the identity of a group, you are always in compromise.

 

[Isaac]

That's powerful statement and seems true.

 

[kevlray]

I am a registered Republican, but I think Trump is way out of line. I am pretty liberal in attempts to protect the environment. I ride my bicycle a lot to work and see the amount of trash dumped on the side of the road and I am quite aware of vehicle exhausts and incredible amount of heat that comes off of a vehicle when I waiting for a light to change (very noticeable in the winter).

 

[Isaac]

It's ironic that Arizonans here tend to be so not-climate conscious. We can't afford any global warming - a few degrees upwards, and we're toast!

As in, it was 107 degrees a few days ago.

 

[kevlray]

It was pretty warm here last week, upper 90's. I concerned a few years ago when got over 100 in April.

 

[Jon]

Oh wow, that is hot. It is 11C in the UK, although with windchill, you are down to 8C.

 

[Isaac]

Oh wow, that is hot. It is 11C in the UK, although with windchill, you are down to 8C.

Beautiful

 

[jdraw]

In reference to Jon's #10

 

[pbaldy]

I'm registered Republican but at heart a Libertarian, so both major parties are often a disappointment. I have friends from all over the spectrum. I have a dear friend who's a very liberal Democrat. It can be frustrating to talk to him because he's very close-minded, and often condescending (and I don't think he realizes it).

My wife is a Democrat, who many moons ago was a Jesse Jackson delegate to the national convention. At election time we joke about how we're going to cancel each other out, though it's funny that if we talk about specific issues, we're normally thinking along the same lines.

 

[AccessBlaster]

We can't afford any global warming - a few degrees upwards, and we're toast!

As in, it was 107 degrees a few days ago.

Except that's falls within the normal range for AZ this time of year no?

 

[Isaac]

@AccessBlaster Well, it was definitely a bit above normal for the first of May, close to breaking records, but yeah it wasn't wildly abnormal. Once winter is over, summer is here, not much of a spring.