Did you see the news? Who are you voting for? Can you believe they said that?

We all know where I stand on sharing my political, monetary and religious beliefs. Call me old-fashioned but we all know that the conversations we have now would make our grandparents clutch their Bibles. 

Politics are tricky. Talking politics is even more tricky. 

Our country is incredibly divided, no one can deny that, but with tensions high on both sides of the spectrum, there’s no reason to ruin relationships over political differences. 

The pros of having political conversations at work may seem nonexistent but there are a handful. As difficult as it is to ignore politics, there’s beauty in making your coworkers feel valued and, more importantly, heard. There’s also beauty in being educated by listening, not just hearing, differing perspectives. 

Believe me, I know the cons are way more apparent when it comes to talking politics. It’s absolutely no surprise that political conversations can be offensive. Politics and morals seemingly go hand-in-hand. While it is illegal to discriminate against anyone for their political beliefs, you can be avoided by your coworkers and you can face some form of persecution for your political beliefs. Lastly, the big one, tension. I do not prefer to talk politics at work, so the thought of discussing them makes me tense up. This added stress is so unhealthy and unnecessary, in my humble opinion. 

This doesn’t mean that political conversations shouldn’t happen at work & it feels almost impossible to avoid sometimes. Every office is different. Progress can be made in the appropriate forum and manner.