Sport Investors League
  • Politics
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Business

Sport Investors League

  • Politics
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Business
Politics

Elections are temporary. Family is forever. Here’s how to keep politics from driving you apart

by admin September 23, 2024
September 23, 2024
Elections are temporary. Family is forever. Here’s how to keep politics from driving you apart

Our divided nation is dividing families. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s family – even his wife – are appalled at his support of former President Trump, and Tim Walz’s brother, Jeff Walz, has declared that his brother’s progressive ideology is the reason he hasn’t talked to him in eight years. 

The emotional loss of family and friends damages our mental health; the divisiveness among colleagues can poison the workplace.

This is not new. In the Civil War, it was not uncommon for a brother to fight his own brother. Our Founding Fathers often viciously disagreed. But they created institutional checks and balances to compensate for what they could not modify personally: our inability to hear opposing perspectives without becoming defensive. 

With my background as a Ph.D. in political science who has also conducted couples’ communication workshops for the past 30 years, the search for a solution intrigued me. 

I saw that historically speaking, when we heard criticism, we feared a potential enemy. Therefore, building defenses was functional for survival. But for love, it’s just dysfunctional.

To transform civil war to civil dialogue with loved ones and friends, we need to develop behaviors that alter our natural biological propensity for defensiveness. Until these behaviors are practiced repeatedly, few people can practice them for more than an hour, but that is long enough to leave our friend or family member feeling heard.

With feedback from workshop participants reporting what did and didn’t work in their real lives, I developed a ‘Caring and Sharing Practice.’ Since it is easier to hear criticism after we’ve been appreciated, the process begins with the first person who will be expressing her or his perspectives (or ‘criticism’) sharing two appreciations of the other at five levels of specificity.

For example, Tim Walz’s brother or RFK Jr.’s sister might recall not just how curious their brother was, but share a specific childhood story. They could highlight their respect for how their brother consistently asked follow-up questions and had the courage to speak up about his beliefs without fearing rejection.

The next step begins with the understanding that ‘every virtue taken to its extreme becomes a vice.’ Prior to Walz’s and RFK Jr.’s sibling expressing their aversion to their brother’s perspective, they would search for the original virtue that motivates their brother.

Jeff, as a critic of ‘progressive feminism’ would search for the sister or daughter whose life is more fulfilled by opportunities feminism helped create; Tim Walz, as a ‘progressive feminist,’ might search for the virtue of Jeff emphasizing the importance of dad and faith to both children and their mother.

Prior to the core practice, I ask political opponents what they have in common. The answer? They all care. No one is apathetic. Caring enough to be actively involved is crucial to the sustaining of democracy.

Now the key ‘Caring and Sharing Practice’ begins: since it’s biologically natural to become defensive when receiving criticism, I ask the person receiving the feedback to first alter their natural state. They meditate using six specific mindsets.  

For example, I call one mindset ‘The Love Guarantee.’ Walz and RFK Jr.’s siblings might say, ‘The more I provide a safe environment for my brother’s perspectives, the more he will feel loved by me, and in turn, the more love he will feel for me.’ 

The listener then signals when they feel completely receptive and secure. If they ‘lose it’ they say ‘Hold’ and resume the conversation only after they’ve found a mindset or two that recenters them.

Once Walz and RFK Jr.’s siblings have heard their brother, they share what they heard; then ask if they distorted anything. They keep working at it until Walz and RFK Jr feel nothing is distorted. 

Then they ask if they missed anything, and finally, ask if they wish to add anything. Once Walz and RFK Jr. feel completely heard, they reverse the process for their siblings.

At the completion of the process, each sibling shares two more appreciations at five levels of specificity.

None of this requires anyone to change their mind. Only to leave someone they care for feeling understood and seen in the way they understand and see themselves.

Elections are now. Families are forever.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Hillary Clinton celebrates decades of marriage to Bill after being ‘deeply hurt’: ‘We just have a good time’
next post
This S&P 500 Rally is Defying the Experts – Here’s What You Need to Know

Related Posts

Zelenskyy says Trump could be ‘decisive’ in bringing...

January 4, 2025

Pro-life groups cautious on RFK Jr. nomination after...

November 20, 2024

DAVID MARCUS: Trump should bring back Anno Domini...

March 31, 2025

SEN BERNIE SANDERS: Two Americas, the people vs....

December 27, 2024

Harris edges closer to Trump in new poll...

July 26, 2024

Former Clinton aide Huma Abedin, Alex Soros marry...

June 16, 2025

Get to know Donald Trump’s Cabinet: Who has...

November 24, 2024

First 2024 Trump-Biden presidential debate: Top clashes over...

June 29, 2024

Living US presidents react to death of former...

December 30, 2024

After repeated promises from Biden administration that a...

September 21, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent

    • Lagging Mid-cap ETF Hits Moment of Truth

      June 24, 2025
    • The Best Five Sectors, #24

      June 24, 2025
    • This Week’s Earnings Watch: Turnarounds and Momentum Plays

      June 24, 2025
    • AI Stocks Ignite Again—Where Smart Money is Heading Next

      June 24, 2025
    • Iran retaliates with missile attack on US base in Qatar, Pentagon reports no casualties

      June 24, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (994)
    • Investing (2,452)
    • Politics (3,047)
    • Stocks (1,091)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sportinvestorsleague.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 sportinvestorsleague.com | All Rights Reserved