Ahh, politics. Everyone’s favorite topic, right? Yea, we didn’t think so. Even more so over the past few years, politics has become an incredibly emotionally charged topic for people from all walks of life. And while it’s probably important that you and your partner share somewhat similar political views, are politics something you should talk about on a first date?
How important is politics to you?
The first question that has to be answered before we can decide if you should or shouldn’t talk about politics on a first date is this—how important is politics to you? If it’s something that is a big part of your life and would be a deal breaker to date someone of a different party, then it’s probably something you should talk about.
Yes, we know that everyone always says it’s “against the rules” to talk about politics on a first date. However, that’s just silly. Why would you waste several dates with someone you’re not going to be compatible with? Ideally, if politics is that important, it might be something to try and bring up prior to going out to at least get an idea if you’re anywhere close to the same page.
If politics is not that important or kind of important to you, then it’s okay if it doesn’t come up on the first date. You don’t have to make a conscious effort to avoid it, but you don’t have to go out of your way to talk about it.
What are your relationship goals?
If you’re just looking for casual dating and nothing serious, does the person’s political views really matter to you? Probably not. But if you’re looking for someone to date, take home to mom, and potentially marry one day—it might be important.
So, should you talk about politics on your first date?
There’s no one answer that fits across the board here. However, the questions we shared should be getting your mind into the right direction. Here are some additional thoughts to consider when deciding if it’s something to bring up:
- If it’s a deal breaker to you and you don’t want to waste your time with someone you aren’t compatible with, bring it up on the first date.
- If it’s not important to you at all, it might be best to avoid a topic that might get someone else emotionally charged.
- If your date brings up politics a lot, you may be able to learn that it’s something important to them.
- It may be tough to avoid not talking about politics when there is a lot happening in the news. If you can predict this possibly happening, take some time to think about how you want to respond and what you might want to say if it comes up.
- Just because politics is more or less important to someone else doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them. But if that is a deal breaker, be prepared to find out where they stand sooner than later.
Can you date someone with different political views?
This is a completely separate issue with a lot of moving parts. Luckily, we have a resource for you. Check out our article on dating with different political views now. We dig deep and get to the bottom of this once and for all.
