There’s no doubt that the 2012 race for The White House is one of the most highly-contested in recent political history. Tensions are boiling over and tempers are fraught, but what impact does this have on your own interpersonal relationships?
For some, political tendencies can strengthen a relationship, for others it will signal the end.
We spoke to Dr. Reef Karim, Psychiatrist, Relationship Therapist and Director at The Control Center, who shares his advice on how your relationship can survive this tense political time.
“Never talk about politics or religion, right? Well, if you’re dating or in a relationship with someone, guess what? This time of year can elicit intense discussions and a lot of conflict,” Karim says. ” It’s election time and our relationships often get stronger OR more problematic.
“The election is about a lot of things: health care, immigration, foreign policy and a host of potentially controversial issues. So when two people have different political party affiliations or disagree on many of the issues, their ability to resolve conflict and love each other in spite of their differences will absolutely be tested.”
And he kindly offers up these tips on how to overcome political friction in a relationship…
1). Find issues you agree upon and focus on that before anything else.
2). Have a romantic date night where the topic of politics is not allowed anywhere in the discussion.
3) Remember why you fell in love with that person in the first place.
Lastly, he adds: ”We all have opinions in life and we’re not always going to agree. So learning how to disagree and still respect and love the other person is a very important skill. Especially during election time.”
What do you think?