As the 2022 election season is here and the campaign period has now started, everyone has the candidates they are promoting to win. With the differences in political opinions, it is inevitable to have arguments within families and friends. It can be challenging to talk to people who disagree with your beliefs, but it is important to remember that the goal is to elect deserving politicians who will truly serve the country. With the use of social media, you can see a lot of people who are continuously arguing and fighting for their beliefs. Some engage in toxic ways to just prove their point, but in this 2022 elections, it is much important to have a healthier conversation so you can both meet with the common goal to have a better Philippine government this 2022.
But how will you deal with people who have opposing political views with you? Here are some strategies from the Center for Media Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin:
Focus on the people, not the politics
It’s very important to don’t attack people based on your political differences. This approach includes looking at the humanity in people you are arguing with. It includes building a healthy relationship before venturing into a crucial conversation like politics. Remember to not take anything personally especially comments from these people. Although there are a lot of controversial topics that can affect your communication with the person, it’s important to always take the high road and look out the perspective of the other person.
In summary,
- Build a relationship before talking politics
- Don’t take comments personally
- Share your own relevant experiences
- Give a relatable hypothetical situation
Finding Common Ground
In this approach, it is important to be open in listening and understanding. Be an active listener and ask questions that will lead the both of you to understand each other’s points of view. When you are looking for the common ground during your discussion, you should remember that the common ground should be for the betterment of the citizens, which in this case are the Filipino people. In this way, you will have a healthier discussion knowing that the reason you are conversing is to select a worthy candidate who can serve the country with honesty integrity.
In summary,
- Bond over less polarized issues
- Be open to listening and understanding
- Ask questions to understand a different viewpoint
- Focus on shared beliefs
Stick to the facts and avoid confrontation
In this approach, the goal is to minimize the emotion during your discussion. To do that, you should both look for facts that are verified. Sticking to this kind of information, will both help you to discuss and have an informed decision.
In summary,
- Stick to information that can be verified
- Back up your opinions with evidence
- Limit emotion in discussion
- Avoid confrontational language
Be an Advocate, rather than an Opponent
This approach will let you both share information in a common language. Although you think that you are saying what you mean, there could be a lot of factors that can affect the way you say things. People have different communication styles, so you have to also take note of this to have a healthier conversation.
Having also advocacy or a reason why you promote a specific candidate, it is important to stay informed, be a listener, and be a good representative. It’s really hard to convince people especially if you both have different advocacies, but always remember that forcing people is never a good way to promote what you are fighting for.
In summary,
- Adapt conversational style to audience
- Avoid words that might upset people
Pick your battles
Although everyone wants a better government, it is still important to set healthy boundaries for yourself and with the people, you are talking with. There are a lot of people going out of their means just to promote a certain candidate, some volunteer and really go through difficult conversations with their family and friends in order to fight for their advocacy.
Not all people are willing to engage in a healthy conversation that’s why it is important to know when you should stop forcing a conversation with a person. It is also important to discuss policies or the candidate’s political platforms for the country. In this case, you are both discussing the current plans that a certain candidate can offer to the country. There are a lot of controversial issues that are important to discuss especially if it includes oppression of human rights, that’s why using facts will be helpful to avoid being too emotional during a discussion.
In a country like the Philippines, history itself is very controversial when it comes to discussing politics. Now that social media become a vital part of everyone’s lives, it is easy to see how people use it to promote their own desired candidate. Recently, during the start of campaign rallies many Filipinos who volunteered really go out their way to help their candidate win their election. Everyone has their own belief and advocacy they are fighting for, but whatever it is, may this election win deserving candidates whose goal is really to bring good progress for the country. It is important to always verify facts whenever you see a post about a certain candidate. If you are still deciding or you are reconsidering who to vote for; it’s important to look and research their educational background, political track record, and also their proposed platforms. In choosing a politician, everyone should remember that this is not a sole decision that will just benefit you, but rather a decision that can affect the lives of your co-citizen, especially those who belong to the marginalized sector.
Always remember that this election, everyone should stay informed, be critical when it comes to choosing your next candidate, and promote healthy conversation with people. In this way, we are all helping each other to choose a deserving candidate and hopefully have a more progressive country in the coming years.
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