My Partner and I Disagree Politically: Are We Doomed?
Why it feels so personal
A man had been dating his partner for a year.
He’d been drawn to her bubbly nature, her energy, her passion for her work — they bonded over a love of travel and tennis.
He’d been aware they were on different sides politically but it hadn’t been an issue until out at dinner one night, and few wines in, they began talking American politics.
She was deeply conservative, a believer in personal responsibility, he was a progressive liberal, a fierce advocate for social justice. A casual chat turned into a heated, personal debate. Words like ‘ignorant’, ‘close-minded’ and ‘brain-washed’ were hurled across the table. When heads turned in the restaurant, they left and went to bed in silence.
No prizes for guessing they broke up soon after. “We were just never going to be able to close that gap,” he said.
As it was a relatively new relationship, they parted with minimal carnage. But what about when couples drift apart politically over time? Are they doomed?
“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.” — Joseph Joubert, Pensées
