Talking politics with family and friends? Start with curiosity and respect, says P.E.I. psychologist
It's important to talk honestly and not avoid tough issues, says Dr. Brent Macdonald
The federal election is coming up on April 28, and campaigns can stir up lots of opinion and emotions.
The political climate in Canada and abroad has been especially polarizing lately, so you may find yourself disagreeing with friends and family when discussing the issues.
"A big part of that is social media and the echo chamber that we find ourselves in when we start liking certain stories or browsing on certain media sources that start feeding us more and more literature… that satisfy our needs, but polarize the opposite end of the spectrum, leading to all sorts of conflict," psychologist Dr. Brent Macdonald said in an interview with Sheehan Desjardins on CBC News: Compass.
The reason for all that passion leading up to this election? Because the ramifications could intimately impact our daily lives, Macdonald said.
Rather than domestic issues, U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with nations including Canada has been the key focus of this campaign.
The American administration's tariffs threaten lots of things here at home, from the price of gas to the cost of groceries and housing to Canada's very sovereignty.
The party whose policies are best suited to cope with the issues may seem obvious to you, but discovering opposing opinions in your close personal circle can almost short-circuit the brain.
"You have to think, you have to rationalize, you have to research and have some idea of what it is you're trying to communicate to the other person who has a very different perspective," Macdonald said. "That's hard work, it's frustrating, and we end up getting upset with each other."
There's a common axiom that we shouldn't talk politics around the family dinner table. Macdonald doesn't think that's the best approach, though.
"If we don't talk about things and we just avoid them, that's not helpful either…. We're not confronting and challenging the perceptions that we may disagree with," he said. "It's OK to disagree… It just becomes a bit more problematic when it's people with whom you have a close relationship."
These discussions can create anxiety and avoidance, but it's not healthy to let them sink in.
Macdonald's advice is to approach such conversations respectfully, honestly and with genuine curiosity about how the other person arrived at their point of view, "knowing that the person… above all still loves you, still respects you, may disagree with you on that one position, but that's OK. We're allowed to do that."
If there's one positive to take from the recent turmoil from south of the border, Macdonald said, it's that it seems to have brought Canadians of many political stripes closer together.
And if folks from the left wing, the right wing and every political stripe in between are finding common ground, families and friends can certainly do it too.
"If someone's threatening us, we seek out support from those who are close to us," Macdonald said.
"People who would be competitors previously are now working with one another because we see that there is a common threat that we have to approach in a reasonable way and in a fair way."
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With files from CBC News: Compass