The Paradox of Friendship

Exploring Diverse Political Views

Photo by Ball Park Brand on Unsplash

Friendship. It’s a beautiful, mysterious thing: the way the fabric of friendship is spun from commonalities and shared passions. From the exhilaration of years spent shoulder-to-shoulder on a hiking trail or the cathartic relief of shedding tears to a shoulder. Friendship can transcend all boundaries.

Friendship provides so much solace and laughter and support, yet at the same time it held my most vehement political antagonist. How could I both share and resonate with my friend on almost every conceivable level while living in a state of profound political difference?

At the core of the paradox is the fact that humans are not one-dimensional beings. We are organic, evolving entities that are created by and respond to a variety of inputs, which build the identities we’ve created.

Our upbringing, our families, our culture at large, our own lived experiences, and our communities all shape how we view the world and this can become closely aligned with our political identities.

But real friendship is different. Where politics is angry, partisan and combative, friendship is about empathy, compassion and acceptance. Significant and enduring friendships are more likely to happen with people whose values, interests and temperament we can appreciate.