Dating and Politics
- Tuesday, November 27 2012 @ 10:17 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,245
It is a long-held dating tip that certain subjects should be verboten on a first date. One of the first and most often cited is, of course, politics. If you’re in the United States right now, political rhetoric is pretty much everywhere you turn - so should you try all the harder to stay mum on that first date?
The key to this answer is knowledge - knowledge about who you are, and who your date probably is. In general, I don’t think one should necessarily keep quiet about politics on a first date; if politics is really important to you, there’s no reason to keep it quiet. If you’re someone who feels passionately about one cause or another and this is just your personality, chances are it’s apparent on your profile, anyway - and if you’ve agreed to a first date, chances are even stronger that you already know your date agrees.
In these cases, there’s no reason you shouldn’t talk about what matters to you. When you’re passionate about something, your date gets a good look at the real you - which, of course, is the point of going on a date in the first place. If this is a passion you share, it can be a good subject to bond over. Bear in mind, politics isn’t really the most romantic of subjects, but it can at least be a good way to get the words flowing before switching to something else.
What if you’re not passionate about politics, though? What if you’re incredibly moderate, or apathetic? Well, you might want to think carefully before you willingly open that can of worms. It’s entirely possible that someone with strong views can get along with someone who has no views at all, but during an election season, the apathetic voter can be most infuriating of all. Alternatively, your date might see you as someone ripe for conversion - so if none of these possibilities sounds appealing to you, don’t be afraid to pull the “I never talk about politics on a first date” card. And if things go south from there, well, perhaps the personalities are too dissimilar in the first place.
What about dates that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum, and you both know this in advance? It can be a good idea to set up boundaries before you even head out on this date. There’s nothing wrong with being adult and saying, “I know this is a potential minefield, and I’d like to get to know you beyond your political affiliation, so let’s just avoid these subjects for now.” Will they have to be addressed eventually? Yes, if the relationship moves forward - but perhaps by then you’ll have a foundation built that will weather the storm.
As you make your dating plans, it’s not a bad idea to consider whether current world events will bring certain differences to light. How you choose to handle such differences (or even similarities) is up to you; having a decisive game plan, however, is key. Talking about politics might be completely doable, but being blindsided by politics can be an easy way to get off on the wrong foot.
The key to this answer is knowledge - knowledge about who you are, and who your date probably is. In general, I don’t think one should necessarily keep quiet about politics on a first date; if politics is really important to you, there’s no reason to keep it quiet. If you’re someone who feels passionately about one cause or another and this is just your personality, chances are it’s apparent on your profile, anyway - and if you’ve agreed to a first date, chances are even stronger that you already know your date agrees.
In these cases, there’s no reason you shouldn’t talk about what matters to you. When you’re passionate about something, your date gets a good look at the real you - which, of course, is the point of going on a date in the first place. If this is a passion you share, it can be a good subject to bond over. Bear in mind, politics isn’t really the most romantic of subjects, but it can at least be a good way to get the words flowing before switching to something else.
What if you’re not passionate about politics, though? What if you’re incredibly moderate, or apathetic? Well, you might want to think carefully before you willingly open that can of worms. It’s entirely possible that someone with strong views can get along with someone who has no views at all, but during an election season, the apathetic voter can be most infuriating of all. Alternatively, your date might see you as someone ripe for conversion - so if none of these possibilities sounds appealing to you, don’t be afraid to pull the “I never talk about politics on a first date” card. And if things go south from there, well, perhaps the personalities are too dissimilar in the first place.
What about dates that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum, and you both know this in advance? It can be a good idea to set up boundaries before you even head out on this date. There’s nothing wrong with being adult and saying, “I know this is a potential minefield, and I’d like to get to know you beyond your political affiliation, so let’s just avoid these subjects for now.” Will they have to be addressed eventually? Yes, if the relationship moves forward - but perhaps by then you’ll have a foundation built that will weather the storm.
As you make your dating plans, it’s not a bad idea to consider whether current world events will bring certain differences to light. How you choose to handle such differences (or even similarities) is up to you; having a decisive game plan, however, is key. Talking about politics might be completely doable, but being blindsided by politics can be an easy way to get off on the wrong foot.
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