How difficult does being a revolutionary leftist make your social relationships?

[RedSonRising]

While some of us are more involved with revolutionary activism than others and may surround ourselves with like-minded people in our day-to-day experiences, others may find themselves in ideologically alien environments isolated from any politically committed people, making close friendships, romantic relationships, and family bonds sometimes harder to develop. The in-between is where I find myself, as I'm sure others do as well. How hard is it for you on average to cooperate with others socially through your daily existence as a leftist? Is getting a date, making friends at work/class, or enjoying consistent company of relatives any different for you than anybody else in your relative life situation? Is politics something you often set aside and only vocalize in certain situations, or is it more of a core element of your personality that sometimes polarizes those around you?

[ContrarianLemming]

I am admired for be active in politics by people who can't define my beliefs. Perhaps it is best this way.
My partner is an anarchist, as are my family. My friends are apolitical enough to nod along with my nonsense.

[Achara]

To be honest, its never really played any significant role. My partner is a Buddhist, and a supporter of the Red-Shirts and Thaksin, and consequently a supporter of the former President Bush, but there's so much more to a person than their political views, myself included.

[Wanted Man]

It's not a problem at all. Why should it be?

[BeerShaman]

Yes, it's not a big price. I have always had problems with my family about my ideology, but I never stopped. I just can't. I think they are getting to understand this. Though, everyone (out of my mother for some rare cases) are criticising me and filling my ears with individualistic bullshit. Like: Oh brother! Will you change the world? You can't face the system... (So stupid!)
Then, some schoolmates of mine always say "oh anarchists! They always were d**ks!" But whatever some don't accept, others do accept or even embrace. Thus, there is just a little bit of conflict during periods of intense action. In school, most problems are provoked by the headmaster or some professors. Mostly during strikes and school seizures.
The biggest problem, other than my family, is some leninist people. Like some of my friends or some of the local instructors of the communist youth (KNE). There is very often some arguing. Mostly by my friends some anti-anarchist trolling or insults. Or even, like recently during the com. youth festival, when I went there in order to watch the festival e.t.c. and while the leader of the com. party came to make a speech the members of the youth were put in order and marched 'til the central scene, so that they "pass a message to the present audience".

[Black Sheep]

Yes, it's not a big price. I have always had problems with my family about my ideology, but I never stopped. I just can't. I think they are getting to understand this. Though, everyone (out of my mother for some rare cases) are criticising me and filling my ears with individualistic bullshit. Like: Oh brother! Will you change the world? You can't face the system... (So stupid!)
Then, some schoolmates of mine always say "oh anarchists! They always were d**ks!" But whatever some don't accept, others do accept or even embrace. Thus, there is just a little bit of conflict during periods of intense action. In school, most problems are provoked by the headmaster or some professors. Mostly during strikes and school seizures.
The biggest problem, other than my family, is some leninist people. Like some of my friends or some of the local instructors of the communist youth (KNE). There is very often some arguing. Mostly by my friends some anti-anarchist trolling or insults. Or even, like recently during the com. youth festival, when I went there in order to watch the festival e.t.c. and while the leader of the com. party came to make a speech the members of the youth were put in order and marched 'til the central scene, so that they "pass a message to the present audience".
Join your local anarcho-masturbation group and everything will be ok.

[Fictional]

Kills it, if I'm fair. I have a bunch of friends who know about my views, none of them care - but if we go out, there's always something that gets mentioned which ends up with 3-4 guys coming up to me and claiming I'm sick, an idiot or something another trying to fight a valid point to the cons on Communism and pros of Capitalism, never works out for them though. As for love relationship, I tend not to mention it until they come back to my place and find a big Hammer and Sickle and fist flags around my room. Oh well..

[The Feral Underclass]

I want to have sex with a Nazi.

[Jazzratt]

I get into a few more shouty arguments with people who have names like "racist Tony" but that's about it.

[Adi Shankara]

It hasn't effected it whatsoever. most of my friends don't really care for mainstream politics too much, and those that do generally want to see America swing more to the left anyways; I have like one conservative friend, and me and him never talk about politics.we agree to disagree

[Quail]

A lot of my friends in Sheffield are people I met through activism, which is kind of sad, but I'm probably one of those socially awkward types anyway so I don't make friends easily. My family disapprove of my going out on demos, and that's caused a few arguments with my parents, but generally I try to keep quiet unless someone is talking a lot of BS to avoid becoming a "politics bore".

[Stand Your Ground]

As for my work environment, everyone seems to ignore me now that they know I'm a commie.

As for family, didn't change. Have good relationship with most, others not so much.

Socially in general, well, I've lost contact with most of my friends, alot of them do drugs & drink so I never really completely got along with em anyway. And it's difficult making new like minded friends, as no one in my area seems to give 2 shits about politix.

[BeerShaman]

Join your local anarcho-masturbation group and everything will be ok.
Ok! Do you ever anarcho-masturbate!?:lol:

[Aloysius]

Not much, but there are moments when my one super-conservative friend will start spouting imperialist propaganda. I've learned to ignore, though.
Most of my friends are pretty leftist, but they don't really identify as Socialist or Communist.
Though the guy that organized the LARP I partake in wrote a paper on Marx. I'll have to ask him for it next time I see him.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Actually, it makes it harder for people to get me on a date. You see, they have to take a test on ideology (including an essay) and score really high to even be considered.:rolleyes:

[Mindtoaster]

Eh. I'm dating a conservative girl

Theres more to people then politics. You're probably a socially-awkward loser if you can't form relationships with people based on their politics.

[Agnapostate]

It's generally not something that I bring up to people that aren't themselves interested in heterodox politics/economics. Last week, when I happened to wear a Che shirt, my environmental science professor went on and on about how he had to excoriate his fellow Russians back in the motherland about their continued veneration of Lenin and how socialism was evil and had killed multitudes. I ignored him, but comrades tell me that some professors make them want to blow up.

[BuddhaInBabylon]

i'm fortunate to have a spouse who is very undrstanding of my politics. Though that's not to say that i don't watch for how radical i get. Certain things are better left unsaid....my behavior in relation to those politics is the issue....if i'm ranting and raving about the exploitation of the working class, the environment, imperialism, plutocracy, etc etc, i tend to be in a sad kind of mood for hours or days thereafter. so i try to avoid my tyraids....
but in the workplace is my biggest challenge. I am surrounded by right wing brainwashed glenn beck watching WASP's who have no patience or interest in developing views of their own. I don't even bother. Sometimes though i will hear something that brings me near violent outburst, but i then think of how good i have it at home, and resist the urge to fuck all of that up.
Sometimes though, the ignorance i hear and see around me is enough to isolate me, if by my own volition. A preventative measure you could call it.

[Quail]

Eh. I'm dating a conservative girl

Theres more to people then politics. You're probably a socially-awkward loser if you can't form relationships with people based on their politics.

Depends. One guy I used to go out with recently told me he voted for the BNP and I just don't have the same respect for him that I used to. I even challenged him about it at the time, but his response was:
"Hey, this is a party. Let's not talk about politics."
I.e. A cop-out. Anyone who supports far right parties is not someone I am going to hold in high regard.

[maskerade]

I think my political views tend to alienate myself from people, so it's something I try not to bring up often

most of my friends are apathetic anyways

[Raúl Duke]

It doesn't make it difficult, in my case.

[Il Medico]

Seeing as I am not my Politics, no.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

It's really not an issue for me, either, but I do have a bad habit of not shutting the fuck up when I should sometimes.

[Honggweilo]

I want to have sex with a Nazi.

Angry sex, Best sex

[Zanthorus]

I make sure to carefully manipulate my circle of friends so that the closest ones are the most worthy cadre material (Based on extensive scientific tests I performed on them after sneeking into their houses while they were asleep). I also only date girls who can write a fifty page long essay on Marx's life and ideas, and who can recite the Phenomenology of Spirit while standing on their heads and inserting lines from the documents of the first two congresses of the Communist International into the narrative.

[Sam_b]

Never been a problem.

If your politics are apparently 'alienatory' to your friends, who I assume are workers, you're not doing a very good job are you?

[RedSonRising]

Wow, surprising results here. I personally can't get close to anyone who holds a very conservative world view, but then again I don't gravitate towards many of those people anyways. Two of my best friends were revolutionary-minded but not ideologically socialist, and after having many conversations they eventually turned into socialists. My other best friends are at least understanding enough to be sympathetic to my committed stances. In general if politics comes up with an acquaintance or not-so-close friend, I'll give enough historical examples and theoretical analysis that people end up agreeing or at least giving me merit, but I try to stay away from it as much as possible.

I don't think I could ever date a conservative girl or gain a great friend if I knew they supported discriminating against alternative sexualities, oppressing racial minorities through immigration policies that dumb down the situation, or sympathize with Israeli or US soldiers that murder and brutalize innocents on a regular basis. It's easy to say "I am not my politics", but after all politics come from people and it's hard for me to form social bonds with someone who I know I'd be shooting at if class war lines were to be drawn right now.

At the end of the day though, it hardly causes any problem whatsoever as most people I encounter aren't as crazy as they could be. I just tend to be persuasive and determined when challenged on the issue.

[NecroCommie]

Very difficult. But then again, it is me not them. I have a very low tolerance when it comes to elitist liberal bullshit.

[Invincible Summer]

Wow, surprising results here. I personally can't get close to anyone who holds a very conservative world view, but then again I don't gravitate towards many of those people anyways. Two of my best friends were revolutionary-minded but not ideologically socialist, and after having many conversations they eventually turned into socialists. My other best friends are at least understanding enough to be sympathetic to my committed stances. In general if politics comes up with an acquaintance or not-so-close friend, I'll give enough historical examples and theoretical analysis that people end up agreeing or at least giving me merit, but I try to stay away from it as much as possible.

I don't think I could ever date a conservative girl or gain a great friend if I knew they supported discriminating against alternative sexualities, oppressing racial minorities through immigration policies that dumb down the situation, or sympathize with Israeli or US soldiers that murder and brutalize innocents on a regular basis. It's easy to say "I am not my politics", but after all politics come from people and it's hard for me to form social bonds with someone who I know I'd be shooting at if class war lines were to be drawn right now.

At the end of the day though, it hardly causes any problem whatsoever as most people I encounter aren't as crazy as they could be. I just tend to be persuasive and determined when challenged on the issue.


Very difficult. But then again, it is me not them. I have a very low tolerance when it comes to elitist liberal bullshit.

Fuckin' this

[noble brown]

i work as a grounds keeper at a far right conservative church in a gated community of rich old retired ppl. as individuals, good ppl w/ horrible politics. misled and victims to the mass consent. oh they start regurgitating glenn beck and fox and i bite my tongue on the politics cause i prefer to approach it from the social aspect instead of the political. its much more palatable to them in that wrapping. they end up agreeing to communistic values w/out even knowing it. outside of that, im pretty vocal but not obsessive. i try to be accessible not a nut job.

[Bilan]

It just gets me into discussions a lot.

[Nietzsche's Ghost]

I had a girl tell me that I was "too radical" for her:lol:. The irony is that I am nothing more than an armchair revolutionary at the moment.

[kitsune]

It's never really caused any problem for me. I'm not going to be attracted to anyone on the reich wing anyway, so that's just a part of the selection process, and people further on the left tend to be more open minded. I've found even moderately leftist people easy to radicalize with persuasive arguments, or at the very least to sympathize with a more radical position. I mean, it is the most defensible position, after all.

[Incendiarism]

not much of a problem. my family doesn't understand and although i sometimes discuss it with my friends, it is on a superficial level. it has never strained or complicated relationships with anybody though.

[Axle]

Being a revolutionary leftist makes me grouchy and lash out at people.

Nah, there isn't much of a difference with my social relationships now than there was when I had no politics to speak of...other than the occasional ribbing from non-Communist friends about being a dirty Commie.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

Most of the people I hang around are apathetic or casual Zeitgeist loonies. I used to argue with a foaming at the mouth anti-marxist Muslim democratic socialist who's only real aim was to kill all paedophiles.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

I had a girl tell me that I was "too radical" for her:lol:. The irony is that I am nothing more than an armchair revolutionary at the moment.
You're "too radical" for me too.:tongue_smilie:

[NonServiam]

I'm acquainted with a great deal of lifestylist "anarchist" types (young, white, vegan, fixie riding hipsters really). During conversations I suppose we meet eye to eye but in practice I find myself continually let down by others for their total inability to reciprocate. Given that much of my politics and philosophy are founded in principles of reciprocity, and that I often determine a friends worthiness based on their ability to reciprocate (among other factors of course), I find myself unable to maintain relations with aforementioned people beyond the superficial. I suspect however that a great deal of aforementioned people are not really interested in establishing relations with anyone, beyond the superficial in the first place, so I suppose its for the best.

I feel it is more valuable to establish relations that are based on constructive reciprocity and support rather then if they agree with my politics. Often I find that people who have no idea what Anarchism means are far superior in anarchist practice (ethics, mutual aid etc) than those who would declare themselves anarchists.

[gorillafuck]

It does not effect my social relationships at all.

[Luisrah]

Fuckin' this

I know what you mean. I can't date a conservative girl, or any with conviction of their reactionary ideas. The max I'll take is cute intelligent girls, that can be easily turned to our side heh :lol:

I just can't date someone that thinks there is democracy in my country, that doctors should be paid 50x more than miners, etc...
I swear that if I find a communist in this fucking island, she has to be mine (if she's minimally pretty that is)

[DaComm]

I keep away from Right-wingers, whether that be family or friends. I draw the line at Democrats, who are much easier to seduce to the let-wing.

[crashcourse]

I'm well respected in my workplace, among my social circles, and in my extended family. All of these circles include a wide range of views and I'm pretty open about my views, so my views don't have any real negative impact. What *does* have a serious impact is the amount of time that political work requires. It's hard to balance this with my commitment to my wife and to my daughter, and makes it hard to have time for other people. I often end up shortchanging myself in order to make up time - skipping workouts, not sleeping enough, etc. I don't know anyone who is able to pull this all of without serious tensions, I think it's just what it is to be a revolutionary who has important commitments outside the movement.

[Jack]

My nickname on the rugby team is "commie" but I still get fucked up and fuck shit up with them.

[jesper]

For me the only thing it means is getting you caught up in long political discussions, which are never ending. Though i do admit that you just lose a lot of respect for a person if he is at the extreme right wing, especially because those seem to be the people with the dumbest arguments lol.

[Wanted Man]

Maybe it's different in other countries, but why do people keep going on about their "conservative" friends and family? Is everyone you know really that political? I honestly don't know anyone in my surroundings (besides other activists and unionists, obviously) who are politically active or even have strong political preferences. They just vote for some left-liberal or green party in the elections, and that's it.

[Honggweilo]

I know what you mean. I can't date a conservative girl, or any with conviction of their reactionary ideas. The max I'll take is cute intelligent girls, that can be easily turned to our side heh :lol:

I just can't date someone that thinks there is democracy in my country, that doctors should be paid 50x more than miners, etc...
I swear that if I find a communist in this fucking island, she has to be mine (if she's minimally pretty that is)

ffs just move to lisbon XD (or anywhere in the alentejo for that matter) , the azores is a christian reactionary stronghold :p

[Quail]

For me the only thing it means is getting you caught up in long political discussions, which are never ending.

I used to do that to an extent where I'm sure I was a massive bore, so now I make a conscious effort to let things slide a bit more when I'm with people who aren't that interested in politics. I don't want to drive them away with incessant political rants.

[Jazzratt]

Maybe it's different in other countries, but why do people keep going on about their "conservative" friends and family? Is everyone you know really that political? I honestly don't know anyone in my surroundings (besides other activists and unionists, obviously) who are politically active or even have strong political preferences. They just vote for some left-liberal or green party in the elections, and that's it. The majority of people I know aren't all that political and, if pushed, define themselves as sort of liberalish. I do, however, know a few shouty conservative types and a few others who are actively involved in politics (usually liberals involved in something identity politics related); it's these people that spring to mind when threads like this come up.

[black magick hustla]

eh, i had some probs with my old folks when they found a stash of lit. they thought it was stupid and dangerous. otherwise idk

[nip]

At lunch everyone likes "spreading the wealth" also known as me not having anymore lunch

[southernmissfan]

I live in the American South, so of course it makes it difficult. When it comes to casual relationships, friendships, etc., usually not an issue unless somebody makes it one. I have learned to avoid discussing politics and religion with family for the most part. Serious romantic relationships however are affected. Since most people are raised in the church and the Republican party, any serious relationship faces problems. My last girlfriend told me that we could never take it to the next level because of our differing beliefs (Christian has to marry a Christian duh).

[Medvyet]

I live in the Bible Belt of America (around the middle where almost everyone is right-wing).
I have only discussed politics with two friends of mine. The first, a friend who is very sympathetic toward communism but has no faith in humanity, and therefore thinks it would never work because people are greedy, selfish assholes, but he wishes every day that it could work.
The second was my ex, the spoiled son of two rich parents from Florida. I accidentally let it slide one day that I am red, and so he blew up and ended with the phrase "You know capitalism works for us." I wanted to say "Yes for some of us, but not for the people who get stepped on" but I just ended the argument. And he ended the relationship. I do see his mum sometimes, she does a lot of charity work, donates a huge load of money and stuff. Nice lady.
I think it's only a problem if one chooses to make it a problem. Two people can be friends and never discuss politics at all! That is ideal. :)

[Luisrah]

ffs just move to lisbon XD (or anywhere in the alentejo for that matter) , the azores is a christian reactionary stronghold :p

It's too damn hot there! I went there a year ago in summer, Jesus Christ it was so fucking hot! You're going at 90km/h and you put the head out of the window and your eyes fuking burn that's what. It's everything so dry and hot in summer, and dry and stupidly cold in winter!

Here 60% moist in the air is already dry, and it's never too hot or too cold. Too bad about the christian thing :crying:

[NecroCommie]

"It's always wet in Ireland. Even when it's dry!" - Who said this?!

[Quail]

It's always wet in fucking England - damn shitty weather.

[L.A.P.]

Kills it, if I'm fair. I have a bunch of friends who know about my views, none of them care - but if we go out, there's always something that gets mentioned which ends up with 3-4 guys coming up to me and claiming I'm sick, an idiot or something another trying to fight a valid point to the cons on Communism and pros of Capitalism, never works out for them though. As for love relationship, I tend not to mention it until they come back to my place and find a big Hammer and Sickle and fist flags around my room. Oh well..
:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:: laugh::laugh:

[Bilan]

"It's always wet in Ireland. Even when it's dry!" - Who said this?!

Dylan Moran.

[NecroCommie]

Dylan Moran.
And you are my friend!!! :thumbup1: