With a lot happening in the world today, politics may come up during a date. While it’s generally a good idea to avoid the subject entirely, completely avoiding it can make you seem aloof or uncaring. Here’s how you can show interest and empathy without turning your first date into a Model UN session.
Should You Talk Politics on the First Date?
The consensus among daters is that it’s best not to talk about religion or politics on a first date. Even five years ago, you could likely get a few weeks into a relationship, and sometimes even a month or more, without bringing up politics. However, politics is now a much more talked-about subject and the focus of many people’s conversations. Many have gravitated towards friend groups who think like them. You’re likely to encounter people of different political affiliations and beliefs in the dating world. When meeting someone, you’ll need to decide when to bring up politics and whether or not the old adage of not talking politics works for you.
Navigating Opposing Beliefs is Difficult
Navigating opposing political beliefs in a romantic setting is no easy feat. That said, people tend to have an easier time of it in casual relationships. Either way, over 25% of Democrats and over 25% of Republicans view members of the opposing political party as a threat to the country’s well-being. This means a percentage of people higher than 25%, where political leanings significantly impact whether they would date someone. This means discussing political beliefs relatively early in the dating process may be ideal for many people. Get it out of the way relatively quickly instead of spending a few months building up to discussing politics only to find that the other person isn’t a suitable match. That said, comprehensive talks about politics aren’t necessary, so start with the basics and then set it aside.
Decide For Yourself What You Need
Decide for yourself if you can have a caring, unbiased relationship with someone who subscribes to opposing political ideologies. Some people already know they cannot, while others need more information. Either way, make sure you figure it out before getting too deep into things.
Listen Politely Whether You Agree or Not
The goal of a date is to get to know another person, and plenty of people with different political ideologies spend their entire lives together. Often, people talk over each other, interrupting the other person when they hear something they don’t like. When talking about politics and many other topics, people often think about what they will say next even while the other person is still talking.
Think of Your Goals
Some people choose not to talk about politics because the entirety of the relationship is about physical fun. The decision to talk about politics or not can be made with honest communication between two people early on, depending on their goals.
Avoid Taking the Conversation Hostage
People don’t like being talked at, and conversations about politics often end up this way. Rather than talking on and on, make sure to pause and give the other person a chance to get a word in.
While you might be passionate about specific topics, the best way to talk with other people about politics is to have a cordial discussion. Use these conversations to get more information about whether the other person could be a compatible match, whether for casual fun, long-term fuck buddy friendships, or long-term relationships.
Remember that You Don’t Know Everything
With the political landscape being probably more intense than ever, a logical conversation can be more complicated due to the large amount of information. Remember that you don’t know everything and be open to admitting when you don’t have all the information on a particular issue.
In addition, a lot is happening in politics at a rapid pace. Most people cannot devote their entire day to browsing news articles, studies, and other sources of information