Can You Have Peace In The Craziness Of Politics?

So much about politics seems downright disturbing these days. As we head toward another election here in the U.S, we’re choosing peace over politics.

I generally try to avoid political discussions. But in the past few weeks, I found myself embroiled in two that became pretty heated, one with a coworker and one with a family member.

These encounters left me disturbed for days. I should have known better than to even engage. And afterward, I was upset with myself for letting politics negatively affect those relationships.

I am determined to choose peace over politics going forward. So I have to make a conscious decision to do some things to help me with that.

1. Turn Off the Noise

It’s coming at me from everywhere and it’s only getting louder. Every time I look at my computer (or phone or TV) I am being bombarded with political propaganda. Whenever I see ads, commercials, social media posts, or news, I need to immediately shut it down. And I sure don’t need to seek any of it out.

People tell me, “You can’t bury your head in the sand. You have to know what’s going on in the world.” First of all, even though I try to avoid news and social media, I usually pick up enough information to have a general understanding of current events. And if I don’t know about everything, what does it matter? Think about it: not that many decades ago, we only knew about what we saw on the evening news or in the paper. We didn’t have the 24/7 feed of world-wide information we do now. So do we really need it?

For me, life is a whole lot more peaceful when I stay away from all the noise. Especially the political variety, which I believe is:

A time-killer. It’s so easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole. Especially when it’s saying something you agree with! Next thing you know, you just wasted a huge chunk of time that could have been way better spent.
An agitator. One definition of agitated is “troubled in mind : disturbed and upset.” It doesn’t matter if I’m looking at something that opposes my views or agrees with them. Either way, I tend to find myself “troubled in mind” if it’s a controversial issue. And they’re all controversial.
A peace-taker. Now more than ever, much of what we see in the media is carefully designed to provoke a strong response. The language used, the scenes displayed–it’s all about creating the most drama to suck the audience in. In my experience, drama doesn’t equate with peace.

2. Avoid Confrontation to Choose Peace Over Politics

In spite of my recent lapses, I usually know better than to engage in a political discussion with someone who disagrees with me. Or someone whose positions I’m not sure of. There are some very good reasons for this:

It’s a waste of time and energy. I’m not going to change anyone’s mind if they’re not open to new information. And a lot of people aren’t. I read an article recently that said most people have a handful of issues that are of highest importance to them. In an election, they will ignore all the other issues and focus on the ones they care most about. If you’re that invested in something, you’re not likely to change your opinion, no matter what I say.
You can argue the “facts” from now until the cows come home. With all the information we have access to, we can find a source to support our stand on just about anything. I’m chuckling to myself, because that’s exactly what I do when I write a blog post. I outline the points I want to make, and then I go online and find links to support them. Hard, cold, indisputable facts are somewhat rare these days. You’re not going to convince someone your information is correct if they have their own information that disputes it.
I don’t need to offer my opinion on everything. In this article on How to Avoid Politics With Stubborn Relatives, we are reminded that sometimes it’s better to simply bite our tongues. It’s just not worth it to respond when you know it will end badly. (The article goes on to give some great advice on how to handle situations where controversy comes up.)

3. Identify Your Key Issues And Find Other Ways To Support Them

Obviously, we should all research the candidates in an election and make an informed decision. Exercising the right to vote is vital to our democracy. But aside from voting, what can we really do about the issues that divide our country?

We don’t benefit anyone or anything by letting ourselves get all stirred up by politics. And there is certainly much more harm than good in arguing about it. What good does it do to engage in things that steal your peace?
If you feel really strongly about an issue, maybe you could find a practical way to help bring change in that area. Think about volunteering, or supporting a cause that’s important to you financially. Taking action brings about more positive results for you personally, as well.

In all our vast (gasp!) years of experience, we’ve lived through many different administrations. Depending on your politics, some were good and some were bad.

Maybe one of the best ways to choose peace over politics is to keep things in perspective. I’m not denying that there can be profound effects on our personal lives. But I am saying that even when I was in total opposition to the party that got elected, life went on. And eventually, things would swing back in the other direction.

So can we all just put aside the divisiveness, take a deep breath, and choose peace over politics?

Let’s try to focus on all that we have in common. My sister and I have long said the average person just wants a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life for them and their family. If we can find that connection with each other, the politics might not be as hard. Maybe change comes through love, not policies.

Do you have any strategies for choosing peace over politics during this election season?

We’d love to hear your views (on choosing peace, not on politics!) in the comments 🙂