With the current political candidates being severely different from each other, it’s common to find people who have drastically different opinions concerning topics about their well-being and others.

It’s a common misconception that people who have opposing political opinions can’t be friends. However, I believe that you can often find a common ground between your opinions.  One of those topics that people typically have divided opinions on is abortion. One side believes that women should not be able to make the decision to stop their pregnancy, and the other believes that every woman should be allowed to terminate her pregnancy or have the upper hand in making any choice relating to her body. If you talk to a person from each side, you will know it’s very hard for them to understand or even tolerate the other side. But is it even possible to do so?

Many people would say it is not, claiming fights would often occur. It may be difficult to get along with someone who has such drastic views from you, but it is not impossible. 

I would actually argue that being friends with someone who has a different stance or viewpoint makes for very interesting discussions. There’s always something to talk about, and if your friend is respectful enough to listen to you, it makes it quite a lot of fun to talk to them about what they believe in and why they believe in it.  

Some views such as human rights issues should never be up for debate. If you believe that certain groups of people don’t deserve human rights, a friendship cannot work out, at least in my opinion. How can you be friends with someone who discriminates against others who are not like them? There’s really no finding a common ground there. I am automatically disgusted by people who think that way. 

However, as long as you aren’t actively hurting others and not talking about political topics all the time, it’s really not a big deal if your friend has a different opinion than you. 

Someone’s views don’t define them as a person. Most people I would say value honesty, loyalty, and kindness in friendships. And you can have all of that with someone who has an opposing view. Plus, how interesting would our world be if everybody had the same opinion?