In today's political atmosphere, I often feel outnumbered and insignificant because of my beliefs. Sometimes to avoid confrontations, I will abstain from letting my opinion be known. I still do this with certain people, mainly as a way of respecting them. Because they are older, I don't want to show disrespect by saying that I think their opinions are wrong, or selfish, or based on lies. Sometimes I will try to show dissent by keeping quiet, but I am not very good at this. When I don't say what I feel, then I feel dishonest, and that is a very uncomfortable feeling for me.
But then if I speak up, it sometimes opens me up to criticism, attacks, and harassment. So I don't know what the happy medium is between agreeing outwardly while inwardly condemning, saying nothing, and putting it all out there.
I guess with people that I know well and members of my family, I feel as though it is extremely assuming and presumptuous for me to say, "you don't have all the facts and you are wrong." I guess my understanding of political and religious belief is that there is a reason everyone thinks the way that they do, and that includes you, and that includes me. Perhaps it is right for one person to think one thing, and for another to think something else. Maybe there is no objective truth, other than people were made to be happy. Therefore people will think whatever makes them happy.
I am certainly guilty of this. But I think it is so rude to try to persuade someone to see things your way. I'm still not sure what the exceptions are.
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