Prepare for a season of nonstop political ads. Between now and the November elections, you’ll have almost every controversial topic before you on TV, radio, and social media. These contentious topics will be casual conversations. While your knee-jerk reaction may be to “stay out of it” and “don’t take sides,” new research indicates this could actually damage your relationships. As our country becomes more politically polarized, we must learn to discuss complex issues.
What the research says
A recent article in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: “When ‘stepping back’ backfires on moral and political disagreements,” authors Silver and Shaw argue that taking a neutral position on “moral and political issues” can make one appear untrustworthy.
The fear is that expressing your opinion will alienate customers or deter potential clients from doing business with you. This may be true in some cases, but surprisingly, not as much as you think.
Silver and Shaw‘s study of 4,000 participants showed that people “tend to be more suspicious and less trusting of coworkers, managers, and public figures who refuse to take sides than of those who openly express an opinion, even if it’s one they don’t agree with.” https://hbr.org/2022/08/when-staying-neutral-backfires).
What’s wrong with neutrality?
People, especially your friends and coworkers, are interested in your opinions. They know you’re unlikely to disagree with a clear position. Your reluctance to share them means you may not trust them or may not want to be transparent about your views. Perhaps you have something to hide.
Furthermore, respondents said they would prefer to work with colleagues who disagree with them on specific political or moral issues than to collaborate with someone who claims to have no opinion or refuses to reveal their biases.
Accepting neutrality,
It seems more acceptable to express “no opinion” when analyzing an issue or needing more information to make a decision. Honestly seeking the opinions of others provides more time to form a complete position. Of course, it’s easier to maintain neutrality if you don’t attend political rallies or surround yourself with people engaged in heated moral debates.
When to take a side
Avoiding political and ethical discussions is almost impossible, especially in election season. When sharing your opinion, do so with care. While you may never be able to sway someone to adopt your views, you can be respected for your transparency. It might even bring you closer together.
In return, listen carefully and understand why people believe the way they do. Even if our political leaders don’t get along, we can model respectful discourse where we live, work, and socialize.
-Mary Louise VanNatta
