Why I Don’t Converse with Leftists

A friend asked me recently if I talked with people on the left. I had to admit not only did I rarely have that type of conversation, but I generally avoided it. And as the left seems to be veering even farther left, I’m even more reluctant to talk with them. It’s not that I don’t know what the left thinks: the mainstream media provides plenty of content, much of it distorted and overly favorable. But to try to have a genuine exchange, I’ve decided, is a waste of my time. For those of you who choose to have those conversations, more power to you. I won’t.

So, let me tell you why I’ve made that decision, based on past experience:

1. They are not interested in what I think, even if they are ignorant about ideas on the right.
2. They are not interested in learning, especially being exposed to anything that could challenge their belief system.
3. They already think I am either naïve, stupid or evil; why would they want to speak to someone like me?
4. They are uninformed and get almost all of their information from the mainstream media.
5. They likely believe that any right-leaning sources are probably just as evil as I am.
6. The conversations are unpleasant because they assume that I am wrong from the start. Of course, I think the same thing about them.

I have only one friend who holds mostly leftist beliefs, and has validated my belief that any information that conflicts with hers can’t be taken seriously by her. We talk about other things (life is more than politics), but I refuse to have political discussions with her. It’s sad, because it limits our friendship — I have to admit that I simply do not have the patience for her thinking. What is odd is that we share many other values. I suspect she hasn’t fully examined her whole belief system (most of us don’t) to see the dissonance.

I know that some of you have the patience to converse with people on the left, and I appreciate your efforts. It’s just not for me.