Politics. yuck.

Can you imagine a world without social media? A world where we aren’t fed only the things that confirm what we already believe—keeping us angry at the “other side”?

What if we didn’t know every single strongly held belief someone had before we even had the chance to get to know them?

During my internship in community mental health, my role wasn’t just to challenge clients—it was first to build trust and connection. To learn about their hobbies, their family, their stories, and yes, their beliefs. I was fortunate to work with clients from every walk of life—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, Atheist, LGBTQ+, conservative, and progressive. Many of them were nothing like me. But the common thread was this: we were two humans trying to understand each other. They trusted me because I listened without speaking and took the time to get to know them.

I think we need more of that in the world. Listening not to argue or “win,” but to understand.

Humans are not meant to be reduced to categories like left or right, Republican or Democrat. We are multi-faceted, complex, and far more interesting than any label.

And yes, in this polarized, rage-filled time, that may be an unpopular opinion. I believe that politics is personal because it affects every aspect of our lives, but I refuse to see someone solely as their politics.

I am the only Democrat in my family. We probably disagree on almost everything political. And yet, I’ll sit and listen, because listening helps me understand—even when I don’t agree.

If we can’t get to a place where we can atleast listen to each other, we’ll never get out of this mess.