Speak No Evil

It might have happened at your last dinner party but it happens here on LI all the time. Please stop.

There are some topics that you are not supposed to talk about in polite company. Your parents might have told you this when you were growing up. Certainly, there are articles galore that include a "you really shouldn't discuss" list. Somethings on the list are logical because talking about your sex life (unless you are engaging in self-deprecating humor in the company of others of the same sex) or money (bragging how you are really struggling with whether to send your daughter to Harvard or Yale is going to be met with stares) is probably out of bounds conversation topics. Religion is on every list of "no-no" topics and for good reason - wars have been fought over this topic for millennia.

Yet, especially in this day and age, one topic should be discussed very carefully or not at all: politics.

I don't know your political beliefs and it would be amazing if they line up exactly with mine and vice versa. We can talk about the weather, your job, your favorite sports teams, your kids, or interesting things that have happened to you. But it's probably best if we don't talk about politics.

And yet - it happens all the time now. Why?

When I hear someone express their position on the political spectrum or a coming political contest, I wonder do they care that I might not see things exactly the way they do. Is it that the speaker just doesn't value relationships, or is simply clueless, or so cocksure about what they believe in that they believe they'll convince everyone else to think the same way?

Unfortunately here on LI, my feed includes a lot of political articles and the comments can be very opinionated. There are times that I want to respond to some of the information (or blatant misinformation) that I read but I have to stop myself. I ask myself: "I may not think the way the commenter does but does that mean that I cannot do business with them?" Would others not do business with me if I espoused an inflammatory opinion on this business platform?

To me, LinkedIn is a virtual Chamber of Commerce meeting. I can learn things if I pay attention and I might meet people who I can have a mutually beneficial relationship with. I will not take a chance that I'll say something that will offend you before we have such an opportunity. To many folks out there I really must ask you consider valuing me the same way.

If you just have to talk about politics, then do it in a way that is funny no matter if you lean right or left. Something like this: the late great George Carlin once said "In America, anyone can be President. And that's the problem."

Now let's do business.

PS: Carlin also said something I think is hilariously eye-opening: "Imagine how stupid the average person is and then realize that half of the population is stupider than that."