Was reading the other comments and agree with most. Life is too short to make it unpleasant with heated arguments. People are what they are and some are weddded to their toxic intolerant views. I come from a country that is a diverse mix of cultures and religions. Birds of a feather flock together and most of the people in my life are liberals like me. With some of course I am a little more careful and just avoid sticky subjects unless they have the power to harm me in some way. Maintaining composure is possible in a social situation with practice..that is what diplomacy is all about.

Hi Reason_Able,

We are all in different places in our lives and our beliefs are dominated by what we have come to believe in and about life and this world. Both sides of your concern are not real, we live in a fabricated existence where we get caught up in things that don't really matter in the big picture. The big picture meaning, the only thing that really matters is that we humans are not happy and the earth is being destroyed mindlessly and no one is stopping the train-wreck of our world.

For myself, none of us are reasonable because we accept a world that allows the earth and the human race to be destroyed. Those with the less sense are the best slaves and non thinkers in the prison of our existence. I find it difficult to exist here, period. Nothing makes sense and nothing aligns with my human intelligence or needs.

If we could awaken to the mere fact that we are one human race on one much needed planet, we may begin to start viewing life as choosing life or destruction. Forget about the circus of politics that doesn't care about the human race or the earth, just winning and wanting power and control over the human race.

This will sound odd, but sometimes I wonder if we have already been invaded by aliens and they have taken over our world in such as way that we never noticed (where else would we have gotten these ideas of alien invasions and god's coming down to earth to have sex with humans- I think these are hints to our reality). I think about those leading our country and world and wonder why they DON'T value life and emotions, our human alarm system that's part of our human instincts.

Its either that or men took over the world and weren't supposed to because their intelligence and instincts are limited and women have more human and earth knowledge because they bare human offspring and its their responsibility to protect human life and the earth that feeds and houses the human race and men, through "boob or carrying offspring envy" (opposite of dick envy a twist of the truth), didn't consider this and instead took over out of jealousy, insecurity, and ignorance and humans have been suffering since, as well as the earth . I don't hate men nor am I feminist, I am only trying to figure out what went wrong on earth and why we must exist as we do in such a destructive existence that doesn't care about human's or the earth.

Welcome. Enjoy.
How do I remain composed?

1. I’m bipartisan. With a Demo father and a Repub mother, I found it wise to not attack either party.
2. I’ve been politically active for 45 years. IMO both parties are about equally corruptible and corrupted.
3. About Trump, I like to tell his voters, “He is educating us.” I love the confused look I see on their faces.
4. I’m out for bigger game: a national direct initiative, referendum and recall. (Info on request.)
5. Enuf 4 now.

I change the subject especially if I want to keep them as friends

Hello and welcome! That's a great question. I usually try to avoid the subjects where we completely disagree. But I do have to say that most of my family/friends are reasonable enough to just agree to disagree; meaning we both know we have different stances on certain subjects, but we've never been in a screaming match, trying to persuade the other. I don't particularly seek out conflict, but there are topics where, even if it came to heated discussion, I would not back down from.

I’m pleased to say that I don’t really have this problem as my close friends, who are all religious, and some of whom have different political views too, have enough respect for my views that we just acknowledge the rights of each other to hold them, even whilst in disagreement with each other. We rarely clash...just agree to differ, and religion and politics are not normally topics on our minds when we meet socially.

Btw...welcome to the group and for making your first post here!

Leave them alone. There are a million and two other thinks to talk about one would hope!

I try to stay off those subjects and try to talk about anything else. If they refuse I just don’t talk to them anymore because we will never agree to disagree and it’s too sad and frustrating for me! Good luck!