You rise above your own limitations. You recognize that the person you've been friends with for years has lost their mind about Trump, and consider that maybe its you that have lost your mind. You remember they were a stubborn mule in the past when they fought for the issues you stand for, and understand they are still a stubborn mule. You swallow your pride and you reach out to them...trying to find comments you can praise where you can find common ground, and laugh off the comments you find disrespectful as miscommunication or poorly thought through.
We are all humans with fragile egos.
When I was a younger man I was in love with a woman I had a long term relationship with. My first love. It was very passionate but we fought often. In the end neither of us could forgive each other for the terrible things we said in the heat of arguments and we broke up after 3 years. Although I have moved on and married a wonderful woman and made a family to be proud of, I sometimes still regret not having the strength to lower myself and forgive. Sometimes we are not smart enough to save a relation by lying, and accepting blame when we think we did no wrong. Understand that the other party does think you are wrong and accept the blame for hurting their feelings...because you didn't mean to hurt their feelings...because you are basically a good person...as is your friend.
Nice post. I've thought about it all previously, and it's how I try to live on a daily basis.
I have friends who have willfully estranged other friends of theirs because they didn't like George W. Bush. Stupid decision.
I know people who have alienated their family members because of political differences. Stupid behavior. I have family members who absolutely adore Obama, and we never speak about it because our relationship supercedes our politics.
It's how I live.
I have my friend on ignore because I want to protect myself from his insults, and I don't want to be drawn into insulting him. I wish I could just use the ignore feature on Trump threads because this man truly is my friend, and I don't want to lose that relationship...... even though it's only on a political forum.
He means a lot to me.
But at the same time, I don't feel it's right or good for me to avoid saying what I think just to avoid offending him. He adores Trump. I think Trump is the most highly flawed candidate ever to run for the presidency. There is nothing about him that would compel me to support him in the primary. Nothing. So perhaps the best thing until this Trump fever is over, would be for him (and one or two others) to put ME on ignore.
I clearly annoy a handful of people here, and some just plain don't like me (at least one or two anyway). So be it. I'm honorable. I'm decent. I do my best to be respectful at all times, even in my teasing. I never utter vile insults. I always ask forgiveness when I've offended, and I always grant forgiveness when it is asked for.
So far, no one has apologized to me on this forum.
At any rate, I have this all in perspective. It's politics. It's ugly.
And sometimes, it's best to "Ignore."
