‘Stop Assuming The President Is God’ and 5 Other Tips for Properly Engaging In Political Discussions

2. Vote according to truth in lieu of partisan rancor. In our current time and space, many Americans appear to base their vote on biased cable chatter and politically polarized media outlets. Some pundits have suggested that Americans should spend more time watching and listening to media outlets that represent both sides of the political spectrum. For example, if an individual espouses conservative and right-wing values, then it would prove beneficial to watch MSNBC or to read The New York Times to understand liberal and progressive viewpoints in lieu of just watching and reading Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, respectively. To a certain degree, I agree with this notion. The remaining problem, however, is that one still may be left without the plain truth because of the inherent biases. To discover the truth, individuals should do their best to research non-partisan media outlets and fact checking organizations that consistently lay out the facts without unnecessary sensationalism and bias. Effectively engaging in politics requires the truth about all aspects of public policies.

3. Don’t dehumanize anyone. Relative to politics, it appears that the demonization of other individuals has become fairly commonplace. If someone disagrees with your political thoughts and hypotheses, does that make that person somehow stupid, ignorant or less than human? Absolutely no! Profitable political discourse requires humility and the necessity to respect others’ opinions relative to public policies.