I think some positive stories would help right now when things inside the US are so polarized and it just seems like people can’t get through to one another.
I managed to get my father to recognize his anti-Semitism. He isn’t cured, by any means, but I grew up with him making Hol*caust jokes and I eventually got him to watch a few documentaries with me to show him exactly what it was he was making fun of. He apologized and said he didn’t know the extent of things and he hasn’t ever made another joke like that around me again.
My partner used to be slightly terfy before I met him. Getting him to watch trans youtubers and arguing with him from a more inclusive feminist perspective, showing him news articles that challenged his assumptions, and appealing to his desire for a more egalitarian, more fair, more just world helped him shed that mentality and become a staunch trans ally.
How about anyone else? Anyone have any success stories about getting through to people?
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My husband recently convinced some MAGA guy that tariffs are bad for Americans, using auto parts as a case study.
I honestly think it can be done but you gotta be alert to the signs that someone’s mind is worth changing
People aren’t born hating people and being insensitive.. we are born with moral intuition and empathy, and are either socialized into hating others or do so out of misinformation and ignorance. Depending on other factors surrounding that persons personal baggage and personality and anxieties, they are more or less likely to fall into reactionary thinking… and from there it’s really really basically impossible for anyone to get them out of it
Surround yourself with curious people who are motivated to make the world better, rather than make it better/safer for themselves. I stay alert to if someone is curious and inquisitive about the truth (rather than being correct) and if they are someone who is willing to forgo their own comforts sometimes for collective good.. because these people are much more likely to have their mind changed.
It’ll become obvious pretty quickly in conversation I think. I always try to approach discussions empathetically and carefully at first when someone says something I disagree with or find problematic… if I do that and it escalates and they double down? Don’t think it’ll ever be worth it
Yes. Net neutrality.
My uncle was making a free market argument that the ISVs should be allowed to charge what they want. I made a comparison to water & electric utilities vs. cable TV. Net neutrality was treating internet usage like water or electricity whereby you pay for your access and usage and then you do what you want with that water and electricity. With cable, you have limited options and if you want to watch your college football team, you only get that chance with super, duper deluxe $250 package despite not wanting any of the other channels. He sat back and said, “Oh, I guess I need to understand this better.”
Sure. But it takes constant maintenance, or they get back in their comfortable little bubble and stop thinking again.
Yes. My mom. My sister is autistic and likely won’t ever be able to live on her own. I told her what if someone took advantage of her and gr@ped her. And she is unable to tell you what happened? Would she be okay with having her bring that baby to term of a monster? She cried and said no. I also told her the free program that my sister is a part of will likely be defunded (which it has) because republicans suck. So now she has to drive 45 mins out of town to get her services that she now has to pay for.
She voted Kamala. But the fact she even considered Trump even with all the bs makes me disheartened to even talk to her like we used to.
Edit: FYI it took up until the morning of Election Day to convince her not to vote for this clown.
Not to the other side politically but occasionally on single issues or getting them to abstain from voting for an election. IE we got a republican to sit out 2020 but they’d never vote blue.
I convinced a friend of mine about drag readings in bookstores and also trans women in bathrooms. She leaned right on both issues. It took a lot of talking and compassion from both our ends..
Not me directly, but my dad voted democrat for the first time in his life after Trump’s first term thanks to my awesome step mom…although maybe it’s not quite to the point, I don’t think he was ever MAGA but he was a true and dedicated republican. My step mom is a democrat. He loves her dearly and would really internalize when they discussed politics. He now hates Trump. My step mom is the best.
I’ve canvassed for so many elections over the past 12+ years. I’ve convinced a number of Republicans to go vote for a candidate not in their party. That includes last year’s election.
A series, bible referenced talk about Jesus and how it compares to what’s happening. Only worked once, but, after a few chats, I got an older man to lose a lot of homophobia and realize trump isn’t good.