To say America is politically divided is an understatement and for many people, the idea of a Thanksgiving dinner in our current divided climate is stressful. How can you sit down at a meal with people who hold completely different views of the world than you?
There are many resources available to help guide you on tense family dynamics. Like this recently published article on camilletsyles.com, How to Navigate Family Dynamics During the Holidays. Psychology Today published an article, Navigating the Holidays During Politically Divided Times that also offers helpful advice.
Most of the advice boils down to a few basic principles.
Listen. People want to know they are being heard. They want to know their experiences, knowledge, and opinions aren’t being summarily dismissed. Listening is hard because we are built to respond. Not everything needs a response.
Empathize. You don’t have to agree with them, but you can find empathy for their pain. Even if that empathy is about their struggle in adapting to change that is beyond their control.
Disengage. When directly attacked or dealing with someone who is very aggressive in their opinions, the need to defend yourself and your ideas is heightened. Learning to step away, diverting the topic, or diffusing the situation by simply saying you’d rather not talk about divisive issues becomes important.