Keeping political views private

Happy to discuss them, happy to be challenged on them, happy to defend them, and happy to change my mind (from time to time).

If you're not willing to talk about your political views, then you can't expect them to be heard, and if you can't defend them, then you can't expect them to be respected.

You mean like when they call people with opposing views insufferable, juvenile, disgusting, naive, and profoundly daft?

Oh wait, sorry, that's was you...

A cousin of mine threw back my political choice in my face in a very unpleasant way a few years back.
It was a valuable life lesson.

This I don't mind if people tell me but I never answered when asked

I agree. I rarely discuss politics or money with people I don't know well. With close friends and family I don't mind so much, but I cant stand when some stranger with a clipboard asks me who I'm voting for.

I'm strong in my views, I don't need someone to try to change my mind and I try to be respectful (if possible) when others have different views.

Same here OP and I don’t ask anyone about voting.

I think discussing politics is important and being brave enough to debate and exchange ideas (respectfully) is healthy.

However ultimately it's a personal decision and if someone didn't want to discuss/ reveal their views I would absolutely respect that.

I am slightly gobsmacked by people saying they don't even tell their partner how they're voting. Surely your politics intertwine with your values - how could this be something you don't discuss or have general awareness of just from travelling through life together?

I don’t mind people talking politics to me but I don’t think it’s right to ask people who they are voting for. I am only ever asked this question by the kind of people who will start an argument with me if I give the wrong answer (in their view). And I can’t be arsed with the aggro.

Yes this absolutely

@AllProperTeaIsTheft I suppose just because it can be quite heated and cause conflict. I was always told your vote is private and between you and your ballot paper. Obvs this is not including people in your own household.

Politics seems a very normal and natural topic of conversation to me! I was brought up in a family where lively debate was common though. How do children and teenagers learn to think about these things and work out what's important if they never get to talk about it and hear people's views? It seems odd to me that it should be taboo, as if it's something shameful.

If you can be confident the other party is willing to be tolerant of views that do not co-incide with their own, then discussion is OK.

But a lot of people aren't. And there is little way of telling in advance.

Hence the internet. It is easy to discuss here, because there is no relationship risk in having discussions.

I was brought up by political activist and becaa as me one myself so everyone knew and knows my politics.
But each to their own

Do you only talk to people who share your beliefs? I think it is much more beneficial to talk to people from a variety of political spectrum. You never know, you may learn something new, question your own assumptions, have an interesting discussion. Personally, I am not interested in eco-chambers.

I agree. We need more debate and discussion, not less. The fact that some people don't really engage in this kind of discussion and debate probably helps to explain why some are so ignorant about what they're voting for. You learn a lot by talking to others and being challenged on your views.

However, I think there is a time and a place. Positive to discuss with friends and family. Needs to be handled much more carefully in the workplace and/or with people you don't know very well.

Do please link to anyone who has suggested we'll be living in Utopia from Friday onwards. I think I must have missed it.

It's easy to go from just asking to some people's opinion being unacceptable. And not far from there to countries where only one opinion is allowed, if everyone just keeps it private it can't go downhill.

Do you dislike him because you find his views objectionable?

Or is it more that you dislike the fact that he discusses them at all?

I think it's entirely normal to discuss this kind of thing within families, but I would definitely struggle if I had family members who were racist Reform types or similar. Thankfully I don't!

But language like that isn't helpful. People are free to vote for whatever party they want.

The reason people are so bad at political discussion is because its seen as crass to discuss it.

I was brought up like this too - that you shouldn’t talk about who you vote for, and I’m not really sure why. I think now that discussing political views is a good thing, I don’t mind sharing who I support and I like hearing other people’s views as sometimes you learn something or someone makes you think.

I don't think anyone should ask what you will be voting unless you know someone well, but I don't mind if someone tells me, and I am happy to share with anyone at the drop of a hat.

It's not that hard to navigate - someone at work told me they would never vote Labour and would like to vote Reform, and from that I knew that while I like her as a person we wouldn't agree on anything politically: I told her I had only ever voted Labour, and we left it at that.

My Grandad always told us not to talk about politics, religion or money.
Not never, but in most circumstances where it's not vital to discuss those topics etc

I discuss it in broad strokes today I even defended the local conservative MP but I've never voted for him he just did his job for me which is more than labour did when I asked them infact he told me he was in a similar situation once and he worked it out for himself and so should I.....yeah thanks for that anyway he isnt running this time

I would readily discuss before but not now after the Scottish independence and then Brexit. It's been a shit show here.