Dear Lulu Jeh: My friend and I have been torn apart by politics recently. Ever since the Youngspiration lawmakers caused a stir in LegCo, we haven’t been able to get through a dinner conversation without one of us erupting in flames due to passionately differing opinions. I don’t think the incident was a big deal, and if anything, it showed the lawmakers successfully shaking up the status quo. But my friend, who identifies as pro-Establishment, believes the lawmakers’ actions are the end of civilized discourse as we know it. The bigger issue still is this: we never realized or cared about how different our world views or political leanings were, until our vicious arguments brought this gaping chasm to light. It’s gotten so bad that we aren’t even on speaking terms now. Is this the end of the road then? I really respect my friend otherwise, but I don’t know if this disagreement is one that I can — or want to — reconcile. – Gutted Over Politics

Dear GOP: At least you guys aren’t killing each other over Hillary and Donald? Cold comfort, I know. Politics has always been a contentious topic, although I would assume that you and your friend had a strong-enough relationship to break that conversation barrier in the first place.

But it’s time to evaluate exactly what you value in this friendship. You say you respect your friend: do you two see eye-to-eye on other important issues that are dear to you? Have you tried to understand things from your friend’s perspective, and do you think that you can empathize with them, if not full-on agree with them? Are you able to acknowledge your friend’s beliefs without altering your own core values? It would probably be worth trying to patch things up if so — but also remember that it takes two to tango.

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