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To: Mr. Jeeves

I just spent the day with my trump hating relatives and had a wonderful time. Politics didn’t come up. It’s possible.


23 posted on 12/17/2017 6:19:03 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: Yaelle
I just spent the day with my trump hating relatives and had a wonderful time. Politics didn’t come up. It’s possible.

Indeed it is possible. Even if politics do come up. The approach I take is non-combative. I try to subtly win them over instead of getting angry and calling them names, etc. Though I admit I am sometimes tempted to!

With regard to Trump, I like to ask them questions and pull out why they "hate" Trump so much. Almost always, it's because they have bought into what the mainstream media and Democrats have to say about him. I then try to draw out the specifics and allow them to discover the weaknesses of the arguments on their own.

It is human nature to never want to admit you are wrong. So if they are forced to defend their beliefs, they will stick with their flawed beliefs to the bitter end. This, you do not want. Instead, I thank them for their opinion and tell them I respect it while letting them figure it out on their own. That way, they are allowed to save face if they do come around. Most importantly, I will never be one of those preachy and insufferable "I told you so" type of people.

Getting back to the general topic, there are certain family members I do not proactively associate with. Usually because they are negative people who resent my success and want to bring me down to their level. However, I will never shun them or give them "silent treatment" at family functions. I am always holding out hope for their redemption. But life is too short to be miserable. It's not about hate or revenge with me. I simply like to preserve a positive environment and so I only surround myself with friends and positive people.

26 posted on 12/17/2017 6:53:26 PM PST by SamAdams76
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