Could an Elephant Date a Donkey?
There are some things you should avoid talking about on a first date: religion, politics and money. But what happens if one of these topics get brought up and you find you have totally different views? Is this a deal breaker or just a bump in the road?
Can different views tear your relationship apart? (Photo: askmen.com)
Just because the election is over, political talk is nowhere near over. Social media is still buzzing and I recently saw someone tweet that the election was causing tension in her relationship. This tweet left me wondering — can you date someone if their views don’t match yours?
I think it is possible, but deffinitely difficult. Here are some ways to not let varying views put a strain on your relationship:
Common ground
If your differences are already out in the open, find out what views you do share and have in common. Focus on those so you stop fixating on what makes you different. If you were too similar, maybe you will get bored with each other. Embrace what you do have in common and keep that in mind.
Open mind
If you seriously like this person, and you think there is something special between you, you are going to need to keep an open mind. Hear them out. Maybe it will help you understand their point of view. And if that doesn’t work, just change the topic entirely and focus on the person themself and not their political or other beliefs and how they differ from your’s. Being different is not a bad thing and can keep things interesting.
Acceptance
In the end, if you are going to be with this person, you are going to need to accept them. Voice your opinions and stay true to them, but accept that the same goes for whoever you are dating. If it bothers you a lot, just avoid the topic entirely, but don’t try to change your significant other. Either accept them or decide you are not good for each other and part ways.
Don’t argue, just accept your differences and move on. (Photo: DepositPhoto)
This year, politics brought out he worse in people. It is understandable to feel tension in your relationship if you have different views. But if it is a love worth fighting for then you will find a way to look past your differences.
