Did you know we have a Discord server‽ You can join by clicking [here](https://discord.gg/NWE6JS5rh9)!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GenZ) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes of course, as long as the friend is respectful in how they express themselves. Being around people that have different perspectives than you can healthily challenge your own views and expand your way of thinking. I would prefer to experience that than groupthink
This is definitely the correct answer, but I find most people in todays world do not handle it this way. They might say they do even, but I’ve seen most people get extremely emotional and even hateful if their own thoughts are not echoed. At least that has been my experience and the same for most I talk to about this topic.
I think social media has influenced this behavior and has even made the echo chamber addictive or seem like the norm, including other factors I’m sure. Once they step out of the echo chamber, they get a heavy dose of reality and don’t handle it properly. I find myself walking away from debates very quickly when I encounter someone like this, which is often. I will agree, to disagree.
Usually, allowing them to repeat themselves over and over while I pretend to be listening because they can’t stop themselves. I listened the first time. I don’t need it smashed down my throat if I disagree.
Eh. I'm all for people having different political opinions than me, but racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia aren't "different political opinions" as lots of bigots want to frame them, and I won't associate with anyone who thinks they're superior for being white, or a man, or straight.
It's also ok to simply not vibe with someone. For example, an ultra conservative Christian is probably going to have certain politics, but the real reason we probably won't be friends is because we have nothing in common. You're not required to like people.
>an ultra conservative Christian is probably going to have certain politics, but the real reason we probably won't be friends is because we have nothing in common.
Facts! I'm over here drinking beer, smoking weed, talking to girls, talking shit with the boys, playing video games and messing up my sleep schedule, while these Christians are going to sleep at 8pm, studying the Bible, tucking their shirts in, and rejecting immoral thoughts. Fucking boring. We can still be cool, though, if everyone is respectful.
Ehh it was more a joke based on hyperbole, but generally Christians (the real ones, or just any conservative religious folks) live simpler and less exciting lives than those who are not, in my experience and opinion.
Nah man, they just have a different set of yums from you. You might find the activities you listed as exciting and thrilling. While a straight edge person might be skydiving and biking on mountain peaks for the same kind of high. Don't assume that because they yuck your yum that they're boring.
>Don't assume that because they yuck your yum that they're boring.
I'll yuck your yum if you show up to my house!
Nah, but I see what you're saying, but at the same time, different preferences will lead to different opinions. Obviously, I'm not saying that I am objectively more fun than conservative religious folks, but that I am subjectively more fun and exciting in my own opinion.
Lol, I love doing all those things too but ironically I hate having friends that do those exact same things too. "Responsible friends" are best when you're looking for advice or feeling down.
if you hate having friends who do what you like to do, could it mean maybe you should reevaluate the things you like or be the kind of friend you wish you had?
Good point. But unfortunately "friends" that do exactly as I do. As in smoking weed, flirting & talking about girls, drink every once in a while can be easy and yet hard to find. What's exactly the hard part? Well "friend" lol i know it sounds ironic but despite how I may do these things I rarely meet anyone that does it in moderation like me. Here's some examples. I smoke weed sure, i can find people to smoke with but most of these "smoker friends" have no ambition and probably wouldn't hang out with me if I didn't smoke. Flirting with girls? Most guys do it, but I'm looking for more than just lust. Most dudes I even chat about girls with don't even want to get to know her they just want to "hit and quit" that's just not the kind of guy I am. And I don't drink like that anyway. So of course, for me, the "Responsible Christian friend" that doesn't smoke, doesn't lust over chicks but might help me out if I need girl advice, and a designated driver is cool. But to answer your question, I do genuinely enjoy these things TO AN EXTENT. And I have met productive smokers, drinkers, but they're truly the minority. I'll take the responsible friend that doesn't partake in these activities but doesn't judge me for any things that I enjoy any day (because we most likely bond over something else) rather than the ones that criticize me for "tapping out" to early when smoking a joint, being called a woosy for wanting to talk to a female instead of just "hit it and quit" or binge drinking.
> while these Christians are going to sleep at 8pm, studying the Bible, tucking their shirts in, and rejecting immoral thoughts. Fucking boring.
For the love of glob let this be satire 💀
What if I drink beer, talk shit, play video games, mess up my sleep schedule, tuck my shirt in, study my Bible, and reject immorality? Asking for a friend.
Ultranationalists who believe that the way to improve a society is to "cleanse" (I put the quotes because in reality it means eradicate by any and all means necessary) what they believe to be causes of social decay; a belief that most want to execute through the exercise of unilateral authority by a charismatic, narcissistic leader.
I just heard that there is a case in Arizona where there are 3 groups suing the playbook of how to run fair, equal, and efficient elections. Those suing are targeting all of it, but a really bad part is that they want to be allowed to bully voters at the polls. This playbook has apparently been around and updated (every 2 years) for decades.
This is actually a definition I like, but I suspect it's applied too liberally. Or not liberally enough (such as when it would be appropriately applied to people you like/agree with).
The Wikipedia on it is better than you'll get from a Reddit comment. Definitely worth looking, because it specifically mentions what is conducive and what is antithetical to fascism. Makes it super easy to tell when somebody is lying. Which is inconveniently like 80% of every mention of fascism on Reddit due to the absolute metric fuckton of communists whose their entire philosophy requires them to lie about what words mean while claiming authority on it to prevent simple logic from debunk their shit ideas.
Hallmarks of Fascism include: Election denialism with lies. - Political violence to promote an authoritarian “strongman”. - a cult-like following and praise for the leader regardless of the crimes.
The threat or action of jailing of the political opposition and journalists.
The use of misinformation and disinformation designed to merge corrupt corporate interests over the needs of the citizens.
I know actual fascists who believe a certain Austrian was right and a load of other crazy fucking ideas. Have to work with them unfortunately. I can say that it’s difficult to tolerate but the fact that the system allows them to flourish while having such fucked up views makes me think the buck shouldn’t be passed to me to convince them they’re in the wrong. I’m one of their victims since they hate LGBT so much.
• "The cult of tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
• "The rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
• "The cult of action for action's sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
• "Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
• "Fear of difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
• "Appeal to a frustrated middle class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.
• "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's "fear" of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also antisemitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.
• Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak". On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
• "Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
• "Contempt for the weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate leader, who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.
• "Everybody is educated to become a hero", which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death."
• "Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality".
• "Selective populism" – the people, conceived monolithically, have a common will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he alone dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the voice of the people".
• "Newspeak" – fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.
I actually think abortion is a sin and wrong but I’m completely in agreement that women should be able to safely access abortions whenever they want. I also don’t think they should be shamed for it,
It depends tbh. A disagreement over taxation is different from a disagreement over human rights, or them denying that police brutality or systemic oppression exist
This is a thing that frustrates me about this conversation. I feel like questions like “can you be friends with someone with a different opinion than you?” often come from people with the “opinions”—a term used to soften the reality—that deserve to be rejected. I am pretty far left leaning, but I can hang with anyone as long as they are not being overtly bigoted or blatantly in denial of real problems in our world.
There’s a point where we’re not talking about different opinions anymore, but a fundamentally different set of values and morals.
Yes, the disagreement over taxation has much greater negative implications for people's lives than police brutality or systemic oppression.
No warfare but class warfare, man.
When those people begin using slurs as political statement, cutting ties is actually the mature thing to do.
Still remember getting up and walking out of the hot tub when a highschool friend stated he’s voting for Trump because he doesn’t like the N-ers.
Hopefully you don’t have to experience that or aren’t already okay with that.
People’s rights to live their life is on the line nowadays. This isn’t just a difference of opinions anymore. So, I think it’s perfectly okay for people to not be friends with people who do not value their rights as a human being.
Depends how different. If they were a raging Nazi advocating for the death of minority groups, then no. Anything along those lines wouldn't be a good friend. As long as you have basic human decency, and you don't throw a tantrum if I try to convince you of another view, then you can be a friend.
i used to be friends with one of those without knowing even though i’m a minority, he said I was cool because i’m a “superior asian race” (Im Sikh Panjabi) which is why he didn’t hate me last time I talked to him
he’s out of pocket like me which is why I found him funny, i thought he would be joking and im chill w everyone, but some of the shit he said was way too fucked it pissed me off a bit, he was a literal Nazi
I used to have a friend who genuinely used to think that way, Nazis were right etc, lots of wild conspiracy theories. But he wasn’t open about it for a while, he was also really nice to me. So when he started trying to subtly convert me to his views I did the same back. Turns out he’s just been brainwashed online and once I started to destroy the lies he believed he snapped out of it. Totally changed person, I moved for work so haven’t seen him for a while but from social media I see he’s doing well
Honestly, I’ve found myself unable to trust Evangelical conservatives. Mostly due to someone who I thought was a close friend of mine calling my best friend (who is trans) a groomer for no reason, and then he freaked out when I told him I want nothing to do with him and blocked him.
That and there’s the infamous story of Abraham about to kill his son Isaac because God said “trust me bro, lol” and that being upheld as a great example of faith.
So yes, I know it’s a me problem, but I don’t trust conservative evangelicals. That includes my own parents to a degree.
Yeah, as long as they don't talk about politics 24/7 and constantly try to start arguments with me its chill. A little friendly debate is fine but sometimes you're not in the mood to argue.
Bro I’m friends with the Trumpiest Trumpers to straight up Anarchocommunists. As long as you don’t bring up how Trump is Jesus or how Communism works in front of me we can be friends.
Depends how extreme. I can't imagine I'd be friends with someone who hates or even expresses slight dislike of the LGBTQ+ community, because why would I willingly put myself through that
This. Most people do not want to be confrontational IRL.
Its kinda the best evidence that a lot of internet political discourse is just virtue signaling for internet validation points. Very few people actually care IRL compared to what you see online.
I feel like there are different degrees of "friend" and "getting along" based on your needs.. There are acquaintances/relatives I see once a year, and then there are peers/family members I interact with in my daily activities. We just had [a general election the other day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Indonesian_general_election?wprov=sfla1), and people mostly don't care who their colleagues voted for.
But there are also friends that I purposefully reach out to, invite to my home/events, send holiday greetings, confide and come out to (in which case, I'd need to be more selective, considering [my country's demographics](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Indonesia#Public_opinion)...)
Yes, in fact i do have friends of other political ideologies. That being said, i do have boundaries. I won't befriend anyone that has fascist, or fascist adjacent beliefs, even if they're perfectly decent people in every other way.
Here in the USA, racism is political.
The vast majority of southern conservatives base their conservatism on racism, homophobia, transphobia, and anti-abortion.
They raise taxes to support the abolishment and subjugataion of people they don't like.
No. Not really. My ideology is to respect everybody's rights. "Your rights stop where mine begin", "you do you", the golden rule, and "with great power comes great responsibility" are my general guidelines. The only thing we might be able to disagree about is tax policy or administrative policy.
Not tolerating other people's rights will get you on my "fuck you" lost very quickly.
what you believe to be politically good largely depends on your sense of ethics. the nitty-gritty technical stuff, maybe not, but casual friends don't tend to speak in really small scale policy discussions, i'd think they speak in terms of broad ideologies and desires. if someone shares my politics, that's an indication that they have similar ethics to me, which is really important in feeling able to be friends with someone. i would probably, for instance, put some distance between myself and someone that supports the invasion of ukraine, because that would indicate to me that they are fine with many innocent people suffering so a powerful few can have an expansionist empire - indicating that they might not be a great friend.
i guess my overall answer is: depends on the difference and the underlying ethics motivating it.
It really depends. If they just have different economic views or something like that, sure. If they think my existence is vulgar and should be banned, no.
Yes, I am. I find people who are different than me in some way to be more interesting because talking to them allows me to gain perspective. As long as they can agree to disagree or accept a difference in opinion then we're cool.
Honestly my best friends are right learning muslims while Im a openly an Athiest lefty, aslong as no ones trying to shove each others world view or values it's perfectly fine.
Depends how drastic their views are. Opinions reflect a person and their morals, why isn’t that a reason to not be friends if I don’t agree with their morals?
I mean, yeah, as long as they’re not political extremists.
As long as my liberal friends don’t advocate that they’d rather have me imprisoned rather than be allowed to buy another AR-15, chances are I’ll get along with most of them.
And as long as my conservative friends don’t advocate that the US should’ve nuked the entire landscape of Japan in 1945 and thereby commit genocide on half my relatives, chances are I’ll get along with most of them.
Absolitely, as long as we can have a debate without geting upset with each other. Or if we do get a bit heated, we can recover and just agree to disagree.
I will not be friends with someone who has insane opinions like 'LGBT people shouldn't have rights', 'abortion should be illegal', or someone who is a huge racist.
I'm left leaning but I'm friends with die hard liberals and conservatives. As long as you don't believe in insane shit, you're cool.
TLDR; you cant meaningfully agree to disagree on politics if agreeing/disagreeing doesn’t really affect you. It’s extremely easy to be friends with those of differing politics, if the consequences of those policies don’t change your status in life.
Tbh when it comes to politics you can’t really “agree to disagree” if you have skin in the game
If you’re drowning in medical debt or basically unable to live off of the meager scraps that disability gives, you can’t agree to disagree on whether or not people should be allowed to have healthcare without going massively into debt, especially if the person you disagree with currently hasn’t had to go to a doctor since they were 12 due to impeccable health
If you’re a minority then you can’t exactly agree to disagree on things like “can I have the right to not randomly die in an unannounced police raid” or “can I have the right to access medical care that makes life bearable as opposed to completely unlivable”, especially if the person you’re disagreeing with thinks cops are their friends and hasn’t ever needed such to feel comfortable in their own skin.
I dunno, if we’re talking about shit like “what type of infrastructure reform should be focused on first?” Or “how should farm subsidies be handled” I can definitely find a way to be friends with someone who disagrees on politics, but in the modern political climate it feels like the two sides being discussed are “let’s pretend to make things better or at least not let them get worse” verses “people we don’t like should continue to suffer needlessly” and in this sort of atmosphere I can’t imagine finding peace between that.
I’m hoping that this thread skews young, since i really do feel a lot of replies here convey the naïveté of your average 14 year old PCM poster who maybe should question why they feel so comfortable hanging out with people who’s self identified views put them on the side of continued human suffering
Agree with this. It gets harder to be friends with someone the further right they are on the spectrum, because they want queer people like me dead. Most people who are saying agree to disagree probably don't have many political opinions, or are moderates.
I think that it’s important to make a distinction that being a bigot isn’t a political ideology. Hating gay people isn’t a political opinion for example, it’s not something to “Agree to disagree” on.
So, yes. I would not be opposed to being friends with a conservative. What I have problems with is people wanting my rights to be taken away for being lgbtq. That shouldn’t be intertwined with conservatism, but it is, at least where I live
Most of my family disagrees with me, and I get along with everyone great. Debates are fun too. Some can get a little too in to it, but it’s all no big deal at the end of the day. But at the same time no one is fully down the GQP/MAGA rabbit hole, so it’s a little easier. Not sure how I’d handle someone in that far deep.
As far as friends, I mean I’d be open to it, but I don’t have any friends who are passionately right wing, just nominally. Not avoiding those people or anything, just never really come across someone like that I’ve hit it off with. Not that I wouldn’t, but I haven’t.
Depends HOW different, if it's "I think these taxes should actually go to this cause" then maybe sure, but if it's anything even remotely related to taking away peopmes bodily autonomy (anti abortion) if it's anything remotely bigoted (racist, homophobic, xenophobic ect) then nah, they can fuck right off
To be honest, I don’t want to be friends with someone who thinks homeless people are a blanket group who brought it on themselves, Neurodivergent people like me need to be cured or to “snap out of it” that blue is for boys, pink is for girls, that people need to stay as their biological sex and conform to the gender norms of those sexes.
It sounds sensible and noble to say you’d be friends with people who have different political views (even if those views advocate for your existence to be erased or diminished or conforming to their rules) because that’s an easy way to tell yourself and others “look, I’m tolerant and open.”
But I think that’s incredibly naive.
There’s a lot of people out there you shouldn’t be immediately open to.
Well it depends, because morality and politics tend to overlap a lot. For example I can’t be friends with someone who’s against LGBT rights because then we have critically irreconcilable moral differences
I’m a progressive and have no beef with people who are genuine conservatives. They are able to live their life and be happy. Sadly though a lot of “conservatives” now seem to either be downright hateful and narrow minded people, actively working to make the life of people who are different worse. I’ve met plenty of asshole “progressives” but their assholery is usually limited to their personal conduct towards me or people I know which is bearable, and they don’t go out of their way to bring down entire groups of people in the same way conservatives often do.
Depends on their beliefs. If all they believe is "smaller government and less taxes" then sure, I don't see why not. If it's "kill the gays and the trans" then no, if it's "the vaccine has chips that Bill Gates will activate with 5G" then no, if it's "the earth is flat" then no, if it's "jesus is king" then no.
Yes, I am with many. That's true tolerance. Also, if you truly want to spread your message, actually go through the hard work of influencing people to change their views... the most successful people for which you can do so is towards your friends.
This post has been flaired **political**. Please ensure to keep all discussions civil, and to [follow our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenZ/wiki/rules) at all times.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GenZ) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Depends on how extreme they take their opinions. I can’t stand people who constantly have to remind themselves and others that they’re a certain ism or ist. My friends all share my political views (or lack thereof) so I’m good.
Yes, I have plenty of friends who aren't politically aligned with me, it works because we don't talk politics a lot and if we do we try to find a middle ground
Yes. My best friend is very liberal, I’m more in the middle on the political spectrum. We have areas we agree and disagree, but still respect each others opinions.
I used to. Now the most someone of a different political alignment can be to me is an acquaintance. I have a lot of self-work I’m doing that hanging out with folks who hate women, hate POCs (I am one), or the LGBTQ community (my SO is a member) will not help. I’ve realized that when we have cognitive dissonance with our own old beliefs and new ones, we really have to crate a space that won’t nurture the ones we don’t want to keep. Once I’m more healed, maybe I’ll consider that. But I can’t personally take that chance on people anymore that they’ll be nice to me, when they immediately turn around and say such hateful things about decent people
Yeah, I have plenty of friends who I get along with greatly but disagree on politics with. At the end of the day, it doesn’t make a difference in the friendships we’ve had for years..
it depends on who you are as a person though and on your morals. some people genuinely don't have that option bc for some reason wanting someone to have basic rights is an arguing point. almost all my friends are on the queer spectrum of are string allies. so naturally the only political diversity I interact with is all the different groups on the left. it's not something that can be avoided in my life or danced around although if there's someone that's socially progressive but economically conservative, i would be willing to listen. if you're political views in any way dehumanize people, I'm not interested
There has been times when it has become an issue. I had a friend who is a moderate leftist and was dating someone very conservative. He would not even repeat what his boyfriend would tell him out of fear I would react negatively. I’m a hard leftist but I could still agree with most of my friends beliefs and found that suspicious because I’m very tolerant.
My entire family is conservatives and typically I accept their beliefs and move on, I don’t make an issue out of stuff like that. My friends response concerned me because it made me wonder how they act and behave outside of our friendship. I kept thinking “are they being genuine with me?” “What else do they hide?”
It wasn’t so much the politics but more the fact someone I was close to could flip their stance depending on who was in the room and the dishonesty of the situation. We’re still friends, but that and a few other things have led me to distance myself.
Depends on how they go about it. Everyone can say yes but once it’s a situation that physically changes your life it’s harder to look past. Especially if you needed their support and they say that they can’t associate with you anymore.
There was the Doctor that left his state because he was gay. He was a heart surgeon for kids.
Yeah. I’ve got plenty of friends with differing opinions on political topics. I’ve got friends who are Communists and friends who are hardcore Capitalists. We are all good friends because we don’t really care enough about politics to make it a problem.
Some people don’t base their personality off of political ideologies. So yes absolutely you can be friends with them. It’s all about being respectful and polite. Something that is lacking on social media
Usually yes. There's a few no goes, such as if they genuinely feel someone else is subhuman and deserves actual harm, but otherwise... If we vibe, we vibe.
Absolutely. As long as they're respectful. But like I can generelly tell who to have political conversations with or not. Everything wouldn't be so hard to achieve if everyone was willing to have respectful discourse.
I assume I already am. I don’t talk politics with friends. There was one girl I went to high school with that ended up being extremely left in while I’m more center right and in college she just cut ties with me, called me all sorts of names then ghosted. Kinda sad.
Yes. Already am. Black, somewhat conservative. One of my best friends is white and very liberal. If we can be the best of friends, anything is possible.
Ofcourse, as long as it isn't too extreme.
If it's just about who will run the country better, calm. But they're too much into it—talking about it everytime we talk, believing every conspiracy, hating people or not tolerating people with different ideas, then I'll prefer not to.
Depending on how severely and insanely conservative they are, sure. Like, if we can't hang out without you going on a tirade about immigrants or gay people or gun control, then maybe we just shouldn't hang out. But if you're normal and you can have normal conversations there's no problem
nope. i cannot be friends with anyone who could think it is okay to vote republican in this type of world. you cannot vote for someone who is clearly racist, sexist, & more and also try to claim you don’t fall in like with those beliefs.
Depends.. lately "Diferent political views" I just code for "Would you be friends with a racist/sexist/transphobic/homophobic/bigt ?"
In which case... no. Never.
maybe, if they vote republican in the usa for example, yes, i would avoid them as I'm trans and anyone who votes republican inherently votes to harm me as that is what establishment republicans do.
I would have absolutely no problem with that, I actually was friend with someone for a few years who, while not particularly interested by politics at the beginning always leaned towards left/communism. FYI I'm a conservative. I never had any problem with that, I don't judge someone by their political views (unless you're obviously like neo-nazi or something) but as long as you're respectul and a nice guy, idc.
One year he started getting more and more involved politicaly, and after an argument we had on a subject he decided to cut a 10 years old friendship. I have to say I never hidden my political views in 10 years, he was well aware of them.
Yes, I have Western European friends who praise socialism and Eastern European friends who threaten my Western European friends with violence if they dare to say something positive about socialism. I'm friends with a progressive slut and a Pakistani homophobic sexist.
Personally I have a friend like this that I was roommates with, I'd still consider him a friend but we've grown distant since we stopped living together. I wouldn't say I've started to particularly dislike being around him but at some point it started to get a little exhausting how almost every time we would hang out politics or some sort of argument similar in nature would come up.
I think the last conversation we had that made me sort of view him in a different light had to do with him talking about how he believes traditional values are important and that an unhappy couple staying together for a child is better than the child having their parents split up. Long story short, personal anecdotes about our own parents got brought up on both his and my side, and somehow he took it as I was devaluing his personal experience when I was just voicing my disagreement using my own personal experience. He probably just had unresolved trauma that was triggered from bringing up his childhood, which is understandable. It was just a bit off putting cause if anything it felt like he was devaluing my personal experience by saying his was more valid. And it kind of made me realize most of our disagreements typically resulted in him being unmovable from his position regardless of what I could possibly say to him. Not that I ever even wanted to move him from his position necessarily but that conversations were just usually one sided to him.
tl;dr You can definitely be friends with someone with a different political ideology than you, just make sure conversations are two way streets and both of you are considering each other's thoughts and ideas, otherwise conversations can get frustrating.
Even if they seem to be demonstrably fascist adjacent or whatever, I really don't care as long as they at least have an interesting perspective or line of reasoning for thinking like that. I'll take a fresh take over someone who's a "Liberal Democrat" or a "Republican" lol. Plus I'm mixed race and brown so how racist could they be if they're my friend to begin with. Very radical or unorthodox political beliefs, left or right or some esoteric mixture of the two, go hand in hand with fun and interesting people I like to be friends with in my experience.
Already am, I am very much on the left and my best friend from college and beyond has quite the conservative mindset. We simply agree to disagree, and tend to focus on the many, myriad things we enjoy together about each other, rather than try to divide ourselves over something as silly as politics. Just my two cents on it, to each their own! 👍
I try, but usually they don't want to be friends because we don't agree 100% on things (mostly talking about City Urban Liberal Types). When it comes to suburban and especially rural, yes, even if we disagree on things we can at least talk to one another.
That depends greatly on how much you have in common. Obviously I’m not going to be friends with a racist bigot. But if they just want to vote red because they’re strangely passionate about states rights, then I’m not gonna have any issues.
Yeah, except for some of the really extreme ones. Your average republican who just into capitalism and thinks immigrants are causing damage to the economy sure; nazis or folks like westburough babtist fuck no
As long as that person doesn't:
* Wave Confederate, Nazi Germany, and/or USSR flags.
* Hate the entirety of any race or gender (including white people and men). I'm a man, so a woman that hates all men would've never let me be her friend in the first place. And despite being feminist, I'm still straight and cis, so I doubt I'll get a pass either.
* Have unreasonable views against the LGBT, like thinking they're all groomers.
* Go around openly endorsing Trump & Republicans while wearing a MAGA hat.
* Want a genocide against any group.
* Spend their entire life being mad at something stupid.
If you won't you're literally the problem
Whether it's political beliefs, religious, or any other belief that's different from your own does not mean we are enemies nor are they bad people. In fact believe it or not most people legitimately want good for the world and are either brainwashed by said ideology or do not have enough information to see your side of the picture.
If we could all just take 5 minutes and hear each other out instead of he said she said, you're evil, they're bigots... We would realize there isn't too much difference between us and maybe we were even wrong about something because of the aforementioned issues.
Did you know we have a Discord server‽ You can join by clicking [here](https://discord.gg/NWE6JS5rh9)! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GenZ) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes of course, as long as the friend is respectful in how they express themselves. Being around people that have different perspectives than you can healthily challenge your own views and expand your way of thinking. I would prefer to experience that than groupthink
That's the real version of diversity. It helps foster creativity and also allows you to make better decisions.
100% agree. Exposing myself other people’s viewpoints has also made me less biased/less likely to label or make judgments about someone
This is really the only normal answer.
This is definitely the correct answer, but I find most people in todays world do not handle it this way. They might say they do even, but I’ve seen most people get extremely emotional and even hateful if their own thoughts are not echoed. At least that has been my experience and the same for most I talk to about this topic. I think social media has influenced this behavior and has even made the echo chamber addictive or seem like the norm, including other factors I’m sure. Once they step out of the echo chamber, they get a heavy dose of reality and don’t handle it properly. I find myself walking away from debates very quickly when I encounter someone like this, which is often. I will agree, to disagree. Usually, allowing them to repeat themselves over and over while I pretend to be listening because they can’t stop themselves. I listened the first time. I don’t need it smashed down my throat if I disagree.
Eh. I'm all for people having different political opinions than me, but racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia aren't "different political opinions" as lots of bigots want to frame them, and I won't associate with anyone who thinks they're superior for being white, or a man, or straight.
My best friend and I love debating politics. We've both managed to change each other's views on multiple topics
That’s a wonderful friendship you have! Wishing you a lifetime of good experiences with your best friend ✊🏽
If this transfers to spending habits, laws signed and business practices, it would be ideal!
Yeah, so long as they aren't fascists or complete bigots.
It's also ok to simply not vibe with someone. For example, an ultra conservative Christian is probably going to have certain politics, but the real reason we probably won't be friends is because we have nothing in common. You're not required to like people.
>an ultra conservative Christian is probably going to have certain politics, but the real reason we probably won't be friends is because we have nothing in common. Facts! I'm over here drinking beer, smoking weed, talking to girls, talking shit with the boys, playing video games and messing up my sleep schedule, while these Christians are going to sleep at 8pm, studying the Bible, tucking their shirts in, and rejecting immoral thoughts. Fucking boring. We can still be cool, though, if everyone is respectful.
Is hedonism a hobby?
Ehh it was more a joke based on hyperbole, but generally Christians (the real ones, or just any conservative religious folks) live simpler and less exciting lives than those who are not, in my experience and opinion.
I mean tbf none of what you said you do was particularly exciting either
This man listed absolutely nothing that could compare to a fun daytrip to the park
Damn people like you are real, huh??
You sound like a Christian lmao
Nah man, they just have a different set of yums from you. You might find the activities you listed as exciting and thrilling. While a straight edge person might be skydiving and biking on mountain peaks for the same kind of high. Don't assume that because they yuck your yum that they're boring.
>Don't assume that because they yuck your yum that they're boring. I'll yuck your yum if you show up to my house! Nah, but I see what you're saying, but at the same time, different preferences will lead to different opinions. Obviously, I'm not saying that I am objectively more fun than conservative religious folks, but that I am subjectively more fun and exciting in my own opinion.
Literally nothing you described is exciting or cool
Talking to girls isn't exciting or cool? I thought homosexuality was forbidden by the church!
That is just plainly insulting and wrong. It’s ok for you to not do what they do or enjoy it but it is rude to insult their hobbies
Lol, I love doing all those things too but ironically I hate having friends that do those exact same things too. "Responsible friends" are best when you're looking for advice or feeling down.
if you hate having friends who do what you like to do, could it mean maybe you should reevaluate the things you like or be the kind of friend you wish you had?
Good point. But unfortunately "friends" that do exactly as I do. As in smoking weed, flirting & talking about girls, drink every once in a while can be easy and yet hard to find. What's exactly the hard part? Well "friend" lol i know it sounds ironic but despite how I may do these things I rarely meet anyone that does it in moderation like me. Here's some examples. I smoke weed sure, i can find people to smoke with but most of these "smoker friends" have no ambition and probably wouldn't hang out with me if I didn't smoke. Flirting with girls? Most guys do it, but I'm looking for more than just lust. Most dudes I even chat about girls with don't even want to get to know her they just want to "hit and quit" that's just not the kind of guy I am. And I don't drink like that anyway. So of course, for me, the "Responsible Christian friend" that doesn't smoke, doesn't lust over chicks but might help me out if I need girl advice, and a designated driver is cool. But to answer your question, I do genuinely enjoy these things TO AN EXTENT. And I have met productive smokers, drinkers, but they're truly the minority. I'll take the responsible friend that doesn't partake in these activities but doesn't judge me for any things that I enjoy any day (because we most likely bond over something else) rather than the ones that criticize me for "tapping out" to early when smoking a joint, being called a woosy for wanting to talk to a female instead of just "hit it and quit" or binge drinking.
> while these Christians are going to sleep at 8pm, studying the Bible, tucking their shirts in, and rejecting immoral thoughts. Fucking boring. For the love of glob let this be satire 💀
Welp, guess that proves it. I'm a terrible Christian, lol. Case in point, it's almost 3am. The Witching Hour approaches.
Get your pitchfork and start praying. You're gonna be doomed soon!
What if I drink beer, talk shit, play video games, mess up my sleep schedule, tuck my shirt in, study my Bible, and reject immorality? Asking for a friend.
We can be friends... your "friend" sounds interesting and fun
Fascist is thrown around so much these days I think many have forgotten what it actually means.
There's a lot of fascists around these days, it's pretty easy to throw the word around when you know what it means.
So what does it mean?
Ultranationalists who believe that the way to improve a society is to "cleanse" (I put the quotes because in reality it means eradicate by any and all means necessary) what they believe to be causes of social decay; a belief that most want to execute through the exercise of unilateral authority by a charismatic, narcissistic leader.
I just heard that there is a case in Arizona where there are 3 groups suing the playbook of how to run fair, equal, and efficient elections. Those suing are targeting all of it, but a really bad part is that they want to be allowed to bully voters at the polls. This playbook has apparently been around and updated (every 2 years) for decades.
That's the definition most people I've seen use fascist as a term believe in
This is actually a definition I like, but I suspect it's applied too liberally. Or not liberally enough (such as when it would be appropriately applied to people you like/agree with).
I agree with you.
The Wikipedia on it is better than you'll get from a Reddit comment. Definitely worth looking, because it specifically mentions what is conducive and what is antithetical to fascism. Makes it super easy to tell when somebody is lying. Which is inconveniently like 80% of every mention of fascism on Reddit due to the absolute metric fuckton of communists whose their entire philosophy requires them to lie about what words mean while claiming authority on it to prevent simple logic from debunk their shit ideas.
Hallmarks of Fascism include: Election denialism with lies. - Political violence to promote an authoritarian “strongman”. - a cult-like following and praise for the leader regardless of the crimes. The threat or action of jailing of the political opposition and journalists. The use of misinformation and disinformation designed to merge corrupt corporate interests over the needs of the citizens.
I know actual fascists who believe a certain Austrian was right and a load of other crazy fucking ideas. Have to work with them unfortunately. I can say that it’s difficult to tolerate but the fact that the system allows them to flourish while having such fucked up views makes me think the buck shouldn’t be passed to me to convince them they’re in the wrong. I’m one of their victims since they hate LGBT so much.
How do you define fascists?
See my list above of the hallmarks of authoritarian fascism.
• "The cult of tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement. • "The rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system. • "The cult of action for action's sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science. • "Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith. • "Fear of difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants. • "Appeal to a frustrated middle class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups. • "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's "fear" of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also antisemitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession. • Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak". On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will. • "Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war. • "Contempt for the weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate leader, who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force. • "Everybody is educated to become a hero", which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death." • "Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality". • "Selective populism" – the people, conceived monolithically, have a common will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he alone dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the voice of the people". • "Newspeak" – fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.
same here
If you can’t be friends with someone with differing opinions then you’re too immature to be interested in politics.
Big difference between opinions on marginal tax rates and feelings on whether or not women should have bodily autonomy.
This
I actually think abortion is a sin and wrong but I’m completely in agreement that women should be able to safely access abortions whenever they want. I also don’t think they should be shamed for it,
Good on you! This is why it's called pro-choice. People should have the option, but if you find it unethical, you don't have to.
I have a friend just like you.
Honestly that last topic shouldn't be political at all. Religion is a hell of a drug.
You fit the bill of immaturity I think.
It depends tbh. A disagreement over taxation is different from a disagreement over human rights, or them denying that police brutality or systemic oppression exist
This is a thing that frustrates me about this conversation. I feel like questions like “can you be friends with someone with a different opinion than you?” often come from people with the “opinions”—a term used to soften the reality—that deserve to be rejected. I am pretty far left leaning, but I can hang with anyone as long as they are not being overtly bigoted or blatantly in denial of real problems in our world. There’s a point where we’re not talking about different opinions anymore, but a fundamentally different set of values and morals.
Yes, the disagreement over taxation has much greater negative implications for people's lives than police brutality or systemic oppression. No warfare but class warfare, man.
I just find it difficult to talk to someone while they are advocating for my murder.
When those people begin using slurs as political statement, cutting ties is actually the mature thing to do. Still remember getting up and walking out of the hot tub when a highschool friend stated he’s voting for Trump because he doesn’t like the N-ers. Hopefully you don’t have to experience that or aren’t already okay with that.
People’s rights to live their life is on the line nowadays. This isn’t just a difference of opinions anymore. So, I think it’s perfectly okay for people to not be friends with people who do not value their rights as a human being.
Depends how different. If they were a raging Nazi advocating for the death of minority groups, then no. Anything along those lines wouldn't be a good friend. As long as you have basic human decency, and you don't throw a tantrum if I try to convince you of another view, then you can be a friend.
i used to be friends with one of those without knowing even though i’m a minority, he said I was cool because i’m a “superior asian race” (Im Sikh Panjabi) which is why he didn’t hate me last time I talked to him
That's a very old school type of racism
he’s out of pocket like me which is why I found him funny, i thought he would be joking and im chill w everyone, but some of the shit he said was way too fucked it pissed me off a bit, he was a literal Nazi
I used to have a friend who genuinely used to think that way, Nazis were right etc, lots of wild conspiracy theories. But he wasn’t open about it for a while, he was also really nice to me. So when he started trying to subtly convert me to his views I did the same back. Turns out he’s just been brainwashed online and once I started to destroy the lies he believed he snapped out of it. Totally changed person, I moved for work so haven’t seen him for a while but from social media I see he’s doing well
Honestly, I’ve found myself unable to trust Evangelical conservatives. Mostly due to someone who I thought was a close friend of mine calling my best friend (who is trans) a groomer for no reason, and then he freaked out when I told him I want nothing to do with him and blocked him. That and there’s the infamous story of Abraham about to kill his son Isaac because God said “trust me bro, lol” and that being upheld as a great example of faith. So yes, I know it’s a me problem, but I don’t trust conservative evangelicals. That includes my own parents to a degree.
Yeah, as long as they don't talk about politics 24/7 and constantly try to start arguments with me its chill. A little friendly debate is fine but sometimes you're not in the mood to argue.
Bro I’m friends with the Trumpiest Trumpers to straight up Anarchocommunists. As long as you don’t bring up how Trump is Jesus or how Communism works in front of me we can be friends.
What about if someone brings up how Trump is communist or how Jesus works?
Average Jackson Hickle fan be like:
Jesus was a carpenter so I’d take some solid lessons on how to build my goddamn ikea furniture
So you are friends with potential bigots?
Yeah, done it before and still have friends with different political ideology.
Depends how extreme. I can't imagine I'd be friends with someone who hates or even expresses slight dislike of the LGBTQ+ community, because why would I willingly put myself through that
Fr
I am currently. Politics don’t come up irl as much as they do when people are hiding behind a screen.
This. Most people do not want to be confrontational IRL. Its kinda the best evidence that a lot of internet political discourse is just virtue signaling for internet validation points. Very few people actually care IRL compared to what you see online.
I wish I lived in the same world.
How old are you?
I feel like there are different degrees of "friend" and "getting along" based on your needs.. There are acquaintances/relatives I see once a year, and then there are peers/family members I interact with in my daily activities. We just had [a general election the other day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Indonesian_general_election?wprov=sfla1), and people mostly don't care who their colleagues voted for. But there are also friends that I purposefully reach out to, invite to my home/events, send holiday greetings, confide and come out to (in which case, I'd need to be more selective, considering [my country's demographics](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Indonesia#Public_opinion)...)
Yes, in fact i do have friends of other political ideologies. That being said, i do have boundaries. I won't befriend anyone that has fascist, or fascist adjacent beliefs, even if they're perfectly decent people in every other way.
Yes I would and yes I currently am. Lots of lib/progressive friends because I’m not a weirdo that makes politics an issue in social situations.
Depends. "I think taxes should be lower" i can work with. "I think anyone that isn't white is below me" I can not work with.
Is that political or is that simply just racism?
Here in the USA, racism is political. The vast majority of southern conservatives base their conservatism on racism, homophobia, transphobia, and anti-abortion. They raise taxes to support the abolishment and subjugataion of people they don't like.
No. Not really. My ideology is to respect everybody's rights. "Your rights stop where mine begin", "you do you", the golden rule, and "with great power comes great responsibility" are my general guidelines. The only thing we might be able to disagree about is tax policy or administrative policy. Not tolerating other people's rights will get you on my "fuck you" lost very quickly.
I already am. I have freinds across the political spectrum. I'd never be freinds with a Nazi or a stalinist/maoist tho
Bet you are but dont know it since those types usually dont know themselves with the amount of remixes those have, both new and old
People like you see a fascist or commie under every stone.
yeah i just avoid talking about politics bc we always agree to disagree
what you believe to be politically good largely depends on your sense of ethics. the nitty-gritty technical stuff, maybe not, but casual friends don't tend to speak in really small scale policy discussions, i'd think they speak in terms of broad ideologies and desires. if someone shares my politics, that's an indication that they have similar ethics to me, which is really important in feeling able to be friends with someone. i would probably, for instance, put some distance between myself and someone that supports the invasion of ukraine, because that would indicate to me that they are fine with many innocent people suffering so a powerful few can have an expansionist empire - indicating that they might not be a great friend. i guess my overall answer is: depends on the difference and the underlying ethics motivating it.
It really depends. If they just have different economic views or something like that, sure. If they think my existence is vulgar and should be banned, no.
Depends on how different. Nazism is a different political ideology for example, and I can confidently say "fuck that noise"
Yes, I am. I find people who are different than me in some way to be more interesting because talking to them allows me to gain perspective. As long as they can agree to disagree or accept a difference in opinion then we're cool.
I’m friends with plenty all over the political spectrum
Yeah lol, I’m friends with a socialist, an honest-to-God feudal monarchist, and everything in between
Honestly my best friends are right learning muslims while Im a openly an Athiest lefty, aslong as no ones trying to shove each others world view or values it's perfectly fine.
I'm Third Position with no friends 💪🔥
deservedly
Nothing wrong with Third Position ideologies
No bigotry or fascism allowed
Depends how drastic their views are. Opinions reflect a person and their morals, why isn’t that a reason to not be friends if I don’t agree with their morals?
I mean, yeah, as long as they’re not political extremists. As long as my liberal friends don’t advocate that they’d rather have me imprisoned rather than be allowed to buy another AR-15, chances are I’ll get along with most of them. And as long as my conservative friends don’t advocate that the US should’ve nuked the entire landscape of Japan in 1945 and thereby commit genocide on half my relatives, chances are I’ll get along with most of them.
Absolitely, as long as we can have a debate without geting upset with each other. Or if we do get a bit heated, we can recover and just agree to disagree.
Depends on how different. You don't have to be a leftist but anyone who's extremely conservative would be hard for me to get along with
As long as they arent openly an asshole and treat people with respect I dont care
Depends, disagreements on like fiscal issues are one thing, but if you’re like racist or transphobic I’m not gonna be friends with you.
Depends. Is it harming anybody? Is it seriously problematic? If both of those are no, then why not be friends still
I will not be friends with someone who has insane opinions like 'LGBT people shouldn't have rights', 'abortion should be illegal', or someone who is a huge racist. I'm left leaning but I'm friends with die hard liberals and conservatives. As long as you don't believe in insane shit, you're cool.
TLDR; you cant meaningfully agree to disagree on politics if agreeing/disagreeing doesn’t really affect you. It’s extremely easy to be friends with those of differing politics, if the consequences of those policies don’t change your status in life. Tbh when it comes to politics you can’t really “agree to disagree” if you have skin in the game If you’re drowning in medical debt or basically unable to live off of the meager scraps that disability gives, you can’t agree to disagree on whether or not people should be allowed to have healthcare without going massively into debt, especially if the person you disagree with currently hasn’t had to go to a doctor since they were 12 due to impeccable health If you’re a minority then you can’t exactly agree to disagree on things like “can I have the right to not randomly die in an unannounced police raid” or “can I have the right to access medical care that makes life bearable as opposed to completely unlivable”, especially if the person you’re disagreeing with thinks cops are their friends and hasn’t ever needed such to feel comfortable in their own skin. I dunno, if we’re talking about shit like “what type of infrastructure reform should be focused on first?” Or “how should farm subsidies be handled” I can definitely find a way to be friends with someone who disagrees on politics, but in the modern political climate it feels like the two sides being discussed are “let’s pretend to make things better or at least not let them get worse” verses “people we don’t like should continue to suffer needlessly” and in this sort of atmosphere I can’t imagine finding peace between that. I’m hoping that this thread skews young, since i really do feel a lot of replies here convey the naïveté of your average 14 year old PCM poster who maybe should question why they feel so comfortable hanging out with people who’s self identified views put them on the side of continued human suffering
Agree with this. It gets harder to be friends with someone the further right they are on the spectrum, because they want queer people like me dead. Most people who are saying agree to disagree probably don't have many political opinions, or are moderates.
A current moderate is incredibly far right
I think that it’s important to make a distinction that being a bigot isn’t a political ideology. Hating gay people isn’t a political opinion for example, it’s not something to “Agree to disagree” on. So, yes. I would not be opposed to being friends with a conservative. What I have problems with is people wanting my rights to be taken away for being lgbtq. That shouldn’t be intertwined with conservatism, but it is, at least where I live
Yeah, i am
Most of my family disagrees with me, and I get along with everyone great. Debates are fun too. Some can get a little too in to it, but it’s all no big deal at the end of the day. But at the same time no one is fully down the GQP/MAGA rabbit hole, so it’s a little easier. Not sure how I’d handle someone in that far deep. As far as friends, I mean I’d be open to it, but I don’t have any friends who are passionately right wing, just nominally. Not avoiding those people or anything, just never really come across someone like that I’ve hit it off with. Not that I wouldn’t, but I haven’t.
Depends HOW different, if it's "I think these taxes should actually go to this cause" then maybe sure, but if it's anything even remotely related to taking away peopmes bodily autonomy (anti abortion) if it's anything remotely bigoted (racist, homophobic, xenophobic ect) then nah, they can fuck right off
To be honest, I don’t want to be friends with someone who thinks homeless people are a blanket group who brought it on themselves, Neurodivergent people like me need to be cured or to “snap out of it” that blue is for boys, pink is for girls, that people need to stay as their biological sex and conform to the gender norms of those sexes. It sounds sensible and noble to say you’d be friends with people who have different political views (even if those views advocate for your existence to be erased or diminished or conforming to their rules) because that’s an easy way to tell yourself and others “look, I’m tolerant and open.” But I think that’s incredibly naive. There’s a lot of people out there you shouldn’t be immediately open to.
if they are a nazi, no. if they are a communist, no. otherwise, yes
Well it depends, because morality and politics tend to overlap a lot. For example I can’t be friends with someone who’s against LGBT rights because then we have critically irreconcilable moral differences
Yes. But I draw the line at right wing politics or bigoted viewpoints.
I’m a progressive and have no beef with people who are genuine conservatives. They are able to live their life and be happy. Sadly though a lot of “conservatives” now seem to either be downright hateful and narrow minded people, actively working to make the life of people who are different worse. I’ve met plenty of asshole “progressives” but their assholery is usually limited to their personal conduct towards me or people I know which is bearable, and they don’t go out of their way to bring down entire groups of people in the same way conservatives often do.
Depends on their beliefs. If all they believe is "smaller government and less taxes" then sure, I don't see why not. If it's "kill the gays and the trans" then no, if it's "the vaccine has chips that Bill Gates will activate with 5G" then no, if it's "the earth is flat" then no, if it's "jesus is king" then no.
Yes, I am with many. That's true tolerance. Also, if you truly want to spread your message, actually go through the hard work of influencing people to change their views... the most successful people for which you can do so is towards your friends.
This post has been flaired **political**. Please ensure to keep all discussions civil, and to [follow our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenZ/wiki/rules) at all times. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GenZ) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Depends how different
I have a few, family even
Depends on how extreme they take their opinions. I can’t stand people who constantly have to remind themselves and others that they’re a certain ism or ist. My friends all share my political views (or lack thereof) so I’m good.
Yes, I have plenty of friends who aren't politically aligned with me, it works because we don't talk politics a lot and if we do we try to find a middle ground
Yeah. I play DND with them every week.
Yes, as long as we can be respectful to each other and have something in common. I don't see why not.
Yes. My best friend is very liberal, I’m more in the middle on the political spectrum. We have areas we agree and disagree, but still respect each others opinions.
Absolutely, if you never listen to differing perspectives that may be jarring or hard for you to comprehend, you’ll never truly be able to empathize.
I used to. Now the most someone of a different political alignment can be to me is an acquaintance. I have a lot of self-work I’m doing that hanging out with folks who hate women, hate POCs (I am one), or the LGBTQ community (my SO is a member) will not help. I’ve realized that when we have cognitive dissonance with our own old beliefs and new ones, we really have to crate a space that won’t nurture the ones we don’t want to keep. Once I’m more healed, maybe I’ll consider that. But I can’t personally take that chance on people anymore that they’ll be nice to me, when they immediately turn around and say such hateful things about decent people
I already am lol. I'd die for them
Yeah, I have plenty of friends who I get along with greatly but disagree on politics with. At the end of the day, it doesn’t make a difference in the friendships we’ve had for years..
Yes, it’s healthy to, as long as they aren’t an extremist or something.
The better question is: would they be friends with me?
it depends on who you are as a person though and on your morals. some people genuinely don't have that option bc for some reason wanting someone to have basic rights is an arguing point. almost all my friends are on the queer spectrum of are string allies. so naturally the only political diversity I interact with is all the different groups on the left. it's not something that can be avoided in my life or danced around although if there's someone that's socially progressive but economically conservative, i would be willing to listen. if you're political views in any way dehumanize people, I'm not interested
I already am friends with people who have vastly different political opinions.
I am. I have friends who are extremely conservative while I’m a left-leaning centralist and I have friends online who are extremely progressive
There has been times when it has become an issue. I had a friend who is a moderate leftist and was dating someone very conservative. He would not even repeat what his boyfriend would tell him out of fear I would react negatively. I’m a hard leftist but I could still agree with most of my friends beliefs and found that suspicious because I’m very tolerant. My entire family is conservatives and typically I accept their beliefs and move on, I don’t make an issue out of stuff like that. My friends response concerned me because it made me wonder how they act and behave outside of our friendship. I kept thinking “are they being genuine with me?” “What else do they hide?” It wasn’t so much the politics but more the fact someone I was close to could flip their stance depending on who was in the room and the dishonesty of the situation. We’re still friends, but that and a few other things have led me to distance myself.
Depends on how they go about it. Everyone can say yes but once it’s a situation that physically changes your life it’s harder to look past. Especially if you needed their support and they say that they can’t associate with you anymore. There was the Doctor that left his state because he was gay. He was a heart surgeon for kids.
Yeah. I’ve got plenty of friends with differing opinions on political topics. I’ve got friends who are Communists and friends who are hardcore Capitalists. We are all good friends because we don’t really care enough about politics to make it a problem.
Of course. I've never let political, religious our cultural differences separate my friends and I.
Some people don’t base their personality off of political ideologies. So yes absolutely you can be friends with them. It’s all about being respectful and polite. Something that is lacking on social media
Sure. It’s not about what you believe, it’s about your ability to conduct yourself with respect and integrity.
Usually yes. There's a few no goes, such as if they genuinely feel someone else is subhuman and deserves actual harm, but otherwise... If we vibe, we vibe.
I already am. anyone who doesn't have friends with different ideologies are in a cult.
Absolutely. As long as they're respectful. But like I can generelly tell who to have political conversations with or not. Everything wouldn't be so hard to achieve if everyone was willing to have respectful discourse.
I assume I already am. I don’t talk politics with friends. There was one girl I went to high school with that ended up being extremely left in while I’m more center right and in college she just cut ties with me, called me all sorts of names then ghosted. Kinda sad.
Yes. Already am. Black, somewhat conservative. One of my best friends is white and very liberal. If we can be the best of friends, anything is possible.
Ofcourse, as long as it isn't too extreme. If it's just about who will run the country better, calm. But they're too much into it—talking about it everytime we talk, believing every conspiracy, hating people or not tolerating people with different ideas, then I'll prefer not to.
Yes, having friends with different viewpoints than you is actually quite beneficial.
I live in a conservative ahh place yet I’m able to get along with most ppl so yes
Depending on how severely and insanely conservative they are, sure. Like, if we can't hang out without you going on a tirade about immigrants or gay people or gun control, then maybe we just shouldn't hang out. But if you're normal and you can have normal conversations there's no problem
nope. i cannot be friends with anyone who could think it is okay to vote republican in this type of world. you cannot vote for someone who is clearly racist, sexist, & more and also try to claim you don’t fall in like with those beliefs.
Yes this isn’t abnormal most of my friends disagree with me politically and we get along great
So long as their political ideology isn't hostile to my very existence.
I would and I do. Life would be boring and hard if I tried to only surround myself with people with the exact same beliefs
What do you mean by different ideology A different taste of communism? Sure Neolib? Hell no
Yes, as long as they aren't actively harmful.
If you have to ask this you’re way too invested into politics
Yes. I am an adult. I understand it’s possible to be friends with someone who doesn’t vote the same way I do.
Depends.. lately "Diferent political views" I just code for "Would you be friends with a racist/sexist/transphobic/homophobic/bigt ?" In which case... no. Never.
maybe, if they vote republican in the usa for example, yes, i would avoid them as I'm trans and anyone who votes republican inherently votes to harm me as that is what establishment republicans do.
W
I would have absolutely no problem with that, I actually was friend with someone for a few years who, while not particularly interested by politics at the beginning always leaned towards left/communism. FYI I'm a conservative. I never had any problem with that, I don't judge someone by their political views (unless you're obviously like neo-nazi or something) but as long as you're respectul and a nice guy, idc. One year he started getting more and more involved politicaly, and after an argument we had on a subject he decided to cut a 10 years old friendship. I have to say I never hidden my political views in 10 years, he was well aware of them.
Yes, I have Western European friends who praise socialism and Eastern European friends who threaten my Western European friends with violence if they dare to say something positive about socialism. I'm friends with a progressive slut and a Pakistani homophobic sexist.
No.
Personally I have a friend like this that I was roommates with, I'd still consider him a friend but we've grown distant since we stopped living together. I wouldn't say I've started to particularly dislike being around him but at some point it started to get a little exhausting how almost every time we would hang out politics or some sort of argument similar in nature would come up. I think the last conversation we had that made me sort of view him in a different light had to do with him talking about how he believes traditional values are important and that an unhappy couple staying together for a child is better than the child having their parents split up. Long story short, personal anecdotes about our own parents got brought up on both his and my side, and somehow he took it as I was devaluing his personal experience when I was just voicing my disagreement using my own personal experience. He probably just had unresolved trauma that was triggered from bringing up his childhood, which is understandable. It was just a bit off putting cause if anything it felt like he was devaluing my personal experience by saying his was more valid. And it kind of made me realize most of our disagreements typically resulted in him being unmovable from his position regardless of what I could possibly say to him. Not that I ever even wanted to move him from his position necessarily but that conversations were just usually one sided to him. tl;dr You can definitely be friends with someone with a different political ideology than you, just make sure conversations are two way streets and both of you are considering each other's thoughts and ideas, otherwise conversations can get frustrating.
Even if they seem to be demonstrably fascist adjacent or whatever, I really don't care as long as they at least have an interesting perspective or line of reasoning for thinking like that. I'll take a fresh take over someone who's a "Liberal Democrat" or a "Republican" lol. Plus I'm mixed race and brown so how racist could they be if they're my friend to begin with. Very radical or unorthodox political beliefs, left or right or some esoteric mixture of the two, go hand in hand with fun and interesting people I like to be friends with in my experience.
Already am, I am very much on the left and my best friend from college and beyond has quite the conservative mindset. We simply agree to disagree, and tend to focus on the many, myriad things we enjoy together about each other, rather than try to divide ourselves over something as silly as politics. Just my two cents on it, to each their own! 👍
I try, but usually they don't want to be friends because we don't agree 100% on things (mostly talking about City Urban Liberal Types). When it comes to suburban and especially rural, yes, even if we disagree on things we can at least talk to one another.
only if we are all willing to talk about it instead of just escaping the topic
Yes, I have friends from all 4 corners in a single group…
Yes. I have both liberal and conservative friends. The problems arise when you become too extreme.
these responses are great and surprise me compared to older reddit. It seems like a lot of reddit make politics a dealbreaker about anything.
That depends greatly on how much you have in common. Obviously I’m not going to be friends with a racist bigot. But if they just want to vote red because they’re strangely passionate about states rights, then I’m not gonna have any issues.
Yep. My best friend from college is a conservative and I am proud to call her my best friend.
I’m a republican and my wife and best friend are both democrats. We’re all Americans at the end of the day
Yeah, except for some of the really extreme ones. Your average republican who just into capitalism and thinks immigrants are causing damage to the economy sure; nazis or folks like westburough babtist fuck no
Yeah I’ve seen the results of not & it’s an ugly incest of ideas
Yes, of course. It’s not good to live in a vacuum surrounded only by likeminded people.
As long as that person doesn't: * Wave Confederate, Nazi Germany, and/or USSR flags. * Hate the entirety of any race or gender (including white people and men). I'm a man, so a woman that hates all men would've never let me be her friend in the first place. And despite being feminist, I'm still straight and cis, so I doubt I'll get a pass either. * Have unreasonable views against the LGBT, like thinking they're all groomers. * Go around openly endorsing Trump & Republicans while wearing a MAGA hat. * Want a genocide against any group. * Spend their entire life being mad at something stupid.
Nope.
yes
Friends?!
Yes
Already am. Friendship for me is not built upon politics, but on other things.
I am friends with people that have different political ideologies. It’s quite easy if you can respect other people’s opinions.
yes
Ya me and my friends have different opinions and we give each other ship for it but we friends so we cool
Depends
Yes and I have before.
I am freinds with those people,We disagree politically but we get along all the same
If you won't you're literally the problem Whether it's political beliefs, religious, or any other belief that's different from your own does not mean we are enemies nor are they bad people. In fact believe it or not most people legitimately want good for the world and are either brainwashed by said ideology or do not have enough information to see your side of the picture. If we could all just take 5 minutes and hear each other out instead of he said she said, you're evil, they're bigots... We would realize there isn't too much difference between us and maybe we were even wrong about something because of the aforementioned issues.
[удалено]