With the 2008 elections quickly approaching, it seems that you just can't get away from the election coverage. Everywhere you go, you'll hear something about the election. This includes your office. At the water cooler, right before a meeting, even just chatting in the hallway, the subject is bound to come up. The question is this: Should you discuss politics in the office? Based on my experience, the quick answer is a definite no. There are multiple reasons for this, but I'll focus on the main one which is described below.
While it may seem harmless to discuss politics with your co-workers, you need to remember one important fact: Politics is a very polarizing subject. People tend to be passionate about their political beliefs, and these strong feelings can bleed into their work interactions. It's unfortunate, but some people who don't agree with your political beliefs can hold it against you at work, even if it has nothing to do with what you're working on. At worst it can even cost you your job, if you happen to disagree with someone who has that kind of pull. At the very least it can strain relationships between yourself and your co-workers. Either way, I haven't seen any good come out of it. Even people who are you're friends could become a problem, as you could touch on something very personal to them and not even know it.
What should you do if someone insists on talking about politics? When this occurs, I either change the subject or extricate myself from the conversation. What you don't want to do is just start agreeing to get out of the conversation. This just causes problems and confusion, because this will only encourage them to continue on the subject. Also, they can use you as an example when talking to other people. For example, they could say "..Yeah, well, I was talking to Kevin and he agrees with it as well.". Now you have another co-worker who is getting the wrong impression of you. Overall, it just becomes a big mess that can cause massive problems for you and your co-workers.
In the end, it's your choice. Discuss politics in the office at your own risk, but be very aware of the possible consequences.
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