Standing Up for Your Beliefs
On Monday, right before the elections, I spoke with my brother on the phone. He, being an avid Bush supporter, was shocked to hear that I cast my vote for Kerry. He started to question me about why I would vote for Kerry over Bush... I did not want to get into a fight with him over the phone, so I simply told him that the issues that helped me decide to vote for Kerry, were issues he felt strongly opposed to ...( I didn't mention it to him, but so you all know...Abortion, Federal Marriage Ammendment, and others). He immediately came to the conclusion that I was ashamed of my beliefs. I definitely don't believe I am ashamed, and perhaps in person I would have discussed the issues with him. However, it made me start thinking. What does it mean to have a belief but not be ready to share it? I know for me, in this case, I was simply trying to avoid an inevitable argument. But, thinking back on it, what is the point in hiding....it will come out eventually.
So, if anyone cares to comment, what would you have done in the same situation? Someone who is your family, you care about, has drastically different
views politically, questions you about your voting decision.
Deb "being proud, I think" Manica
So, if anyone cares to comment, what would you have done in the same situation? Someone who is your family, you care about, has drastically different
views politically, questions you about your voting decision.
Deb "being proud, I think" Manica
posted by Deb at 11:43 PM
3 Comments:
I think that was rude of him to say that you were ashamed of your beliefs. They are YOUR beliefs...you can tell them or not tell him. That's YOUR decission. I think that I probably avoid conflict when possible. I mean...let think about this. Just about every person on the planet has contraversial opinions about things and when you are talking with people who feel strongly the opposite and they are LOOKING for an arguement...yeah...some days I don't like to give them the satisfaction. But sometimes I look for an argument too ;)
My contraversial opinions: Being Straight-Edge, Thinking that marriage isn't necessary to have a successful long lasting relationship, I want ANY Citizen in the United States to have all the same freedoms that any other Citizen has regardless of sexual orientation. and many others...and I'm more than willing to listen to the other side of the argument and perfectly capable of changing my opinion.
Just thought I would share so you didn't have to be the only one :)
T
This is a difficult situation. I do believe that it's nearly impossible to avoid conflict in this situation. The good news is, that your relationship is above politics, and won't be ruined by it. My two best friends are staunch republicans, and as much as that bothers me, we still get along fine. I think this is because we go back far enough that our relationship was formed before politics became an issue in our lives. I'm sure that with your brother, it will be the same way. You don't have to understand each other in order to get along.
Believe it or not there's a word for what those kids are doing in the big dictionart of Counseling. And I just took a test on it yesterday. It's called Introjection. It's when you take on a belief or an idea from the environment(ie parents, friends) without filtering it or altering it. It originated with The psychoanalytic theories but it eventually made it into some of the more contemporary humanistic and behavioral theories as well. Basically...Irrational Thinking. Sorry about that...I DID just study it and I really couldn't help be comment.
T
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