This has been a wild election cycle. Many people are upset, some due to having lost the election and others simply from having lost their favorite form of entertainment. Even those that are pleased with the results know that there is still a lot of work to be done.
We have a big holiday coming up. Maybe you’re going home, maybe you’re keeping your family safe and attending the festivities via Zoom, who knows. I’m not here to tell you what I think you should do, as that would be an article in and of itself. Plus, either way you’re probably going to be communicating with your family members somehow. This can be quite an anxiety-inducing experience for many, as Thanksgiving and other large holidays have become notorious for being rife with uncomfortable political and personal arguments. While turkey seems to be the most traditional dish for Thanksgiving, somehow most families tend to have beef (hah, get it).
It’s almost inevitable – while we’re all related, everyone is coming to the table with different life experiences, often from a span of different generations. It’s especially hard to refrain from debate when you’re so close to the person you’re talking to and know that they have so many good qualities. It’s often hard to understand how such a good and lovable person would have such horrible and backwards opinions.
However, we’ve all learned (usually the hard way) just how futile these arguments are. I can’t think of a single person in my family who has ever had their opinion changed during a scathing conversation over mashed potatoes. While there’s not much we can do in the way of fending off personal attacks, I had an idea recently for how to mitigate political drama during this upcoming holiday: Why don’t we all try something new this year and just shut the hell up?
You already voted for your candidate. You did everything you could for your party, and now the election is over. It is done. You did your part, and nothing you say now will change that. Your opinion literally does not matter. Please keep it to yourself.
