I will be the first one to openly admit how oblivious I once was to the sensitivity of differing opinions- when it comes to politics. Of course I knew the common sense rule: to never ask ANY adult where they stand on the political spectrum. I was taught to avoid those types of conversations with adults but concurrently was raised to respect any different opinion than my own.

I am also the first one to admit how strong-headed and opinionated I truly am. If you get me fired up, I can debate just about any issue and have many argumentative points. I am overly grateful to be a 19 year old American woman that is as knowledgeable as I am about current events, and I definitely credit my parents for that.

Ever since this intense presidential campaign, I have learned to keep my mouth shut about any opinion that could potentially offend anyone. To be honest I think that is the worst thing about the American population; the sensitivity about differing opinions. What most people don't realize is that an opinion is not wrong, in any shape or form. When someone has an opinion, they have the right to share those opinions without feeling attacked for what people may believe to be "wrong".

I am not one to post my political views on social media and in this article I am avoiding that entirely. I just want to share what it's like to have a best friend who has completely different views than mine, on just about every issue, and why it is truly amazing. I am extremely lucky to have a best friend with dissimilar views and I want people to realize that is it OKAY to have those types of relationships.

It breaks my heart to know how many relationships, friendships, and family relations have been ruined just by a different view or belief. Simply put, America is built on the idea of freedom. This means that every American in our country is entitled to his or her own opinion. To build off of that, none of those opinions are wrong opinions, which is what makes our country so incredible.

Ironically, I met my best friend my junior year of high school in debate class. Debating about anything and everything is our all-time favorite thing to do when we are together. What most people don't realize is the concept of a healthy debate. In my eyes, a "healthy" debate is when you are having a conversation with someone with differing opinions on an issue and you are engaged, open-minded, and learning, all at the same time.

To break it down, having a best friend with opposite beliefs has truly made me a better person. We have engaged in numerous debates and each time, she reminds me what it means to be open-minded. Being open-minded is when you can listen to someone who you may not agree with but still be engaged and learn about their opinions. The most amazing part of encountering those types of conversations is that you will learn so much about another point of view and about values, beliefs, and opinions that may not align with yours. You will be able to open your eyes to what makes them think the way they do, and you will realize that there is nothing wrong about that.

I'm writing this article for anyone that has ever been offended by a family member, a friend, or a significant other by an opinion. I want you to hear me out and I want to let you all know that it's OKAY to think differently from the person sitting next to you. Our country is a democracy because the entire population will never agree on the president-elect or the different laws passed, and that is what is so fascinating to me. It is so cool that you can build a relationship with someone and learn so much from them just by a single differing perspective.

If you are open about putting your opinions on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites, why do you get offended when someone disagrees with you? Why do you delete them from your friends list? What makes their opinion wrong in comparison to yours?

I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to be able to share my beliefs about any topic with my best friend. I am so lucky to be able to express my opinions with not a single thought of ruining that relationship. I am forever grateful to have at least one person that I can have a debate with but never be attacked for what she would believe to be wrong. Trust me when I say that not only is it OKAY to have different political views than your best friend, it is absolutely incredible.