A couple weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a lengthy post from an old roommate. At first glance, I could tell that whatever I was about to read was an important and sensitive matter to him. My eyes sifted through the text when I read, “Having said that, I announce to my Facebook followers: I identify politically as conservative and I voted for Donald Trump as my presidential candidate.”

The post later read, “I’m tired of hiding my conclusions from friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances in fear of being shunned or punished for it.” So what can people do to stop others from having that sentiment of fear about their political preference? I believe it has much to do with how people engage through discussion and discourse about politics.

The first attribute to have when it comes to political engagement is the simple awareness of ideals that are different from yours. Many, if not all people likely exhibit this awareness, but as a general rule of thumb, it helps to make sure oneself has that insight pocketed.

Perhaps the most crucial aspect, it’s absolutely paramount to promote the idea within yourself that arguing doesn’t always mean someone wins or loses; nor does it mean that someone is inferior or superior. From childhood to adulthood, the average person is generally wired to link argumentation with negative connotations. Rather, think about arguing as a means of understanding someone’s viewpoint in an open-minded engagement.

Gaining understanding of your own stances is just as important as doing the same for others. Neither side of an argument is completely bulletproof, so evaluate and analyze any weaknesses/shortcomings from every point of view. This may require getting out of your comfort zone but to be able to critically analyze both sides of an argument cultivates sound deliberation.

Something to keep in mind about politics is that, with certain subjects, there are outlooks which tend to be rooted within one’s morals or religion. Due to this, everyone has beliefs that cannot and will not be changed by any means. When it seems as if deliberation is going nowhere, remember that it’s okay to agree to disagree. Ethical discourse has the capability to foster a cohesive sense of community among those who decide to engage in it.