Do you associate with folks who don't share your political perspective?

This is about someone I've interacted with regularly, for 10 years or more, and care about as a friend. While I make a concerted effort NOT to discuss politics, this person puts a political spin on one thing after another and always tries to get digs in accusing me of believing "fake news". 🙄 At that point I just shut down and stop talking. I have mentioned previously that I don't want to discuss these issues because he always tries to make it personal. Well, it happened again this morning.

Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but I'm considering just not talking to him anymore, and that's difficult. He's always been good to me, but in recent years has been more snarky and accusatory. How would you address this?

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canusernamebemyusername · M

That is called a clinical obsession. I have two brothers like that. One of them saw a dictionary which set them off on an antivaxx rant.
Also because political beliefs are held so close studies show an attack or even negative or non supportive comment about those beliefs has the same physiological effect as being psychically attacked. So that is why you cant get along with people that are different politically.
Especially if that person has a right leaning worldview.
Right wing ideologies are controlled by a larger than average amygdala in the brain. Which is the part of the brain that is responsible for control of negative emotional experiences like fear and anger. It leads to being closed off and less open and tolerant of other ideologies due to that fear and hate. Which explains why the right wants
good old days. They are less tolerant of change and difference.
The left has a correlation with greater activity in the anterior cingulate cortex which controls openness to new ideas and curiosity. Which leads to the left being associated with progressive ideologies and tolerance. That tolerance though can lead the person to tolerating things that are determinantal to themselves.
Because they do the opposite things in the brain, openness vs closedness, that conflict eventually spills over into interpersonal relationships and people start fighting each other because they are mentally enemies of each other. They both cant exist at the same time.