Politics.

It's the conversation subject to be avoided. The subject we're told not to bring up. The speech unspoken for so long.

We're taught to keep our opinions hush-hush, to not bring it up at the dinner table, to keep it away from the discussion for as long as possible. Why?

We no longer have an excuse to be uninformed. With the overbearing presence of social media, it has become easier and easier to find information on what's happening all over our world. Everything is at the touch of our fingertips, waiting. It's become more commonplace today than it used to be and yet, people still avoid it.

Why do our political views shape how people view us? Why is it said that politics shouldn't be brought up if we want someone to like us, respect us, or feel comfortable around us?

The fact that our own, personal opinions on our shared world are so influential in how others perceive our entire person is ludicrous. People should be able to respectfully share and discuss thoughts without anger, rivalry, or disgust.

We are influenced by the conversations we hear around us, the ones we're involved in, and the ones we feel strongly about. In order for an opinion to be formed, one must first be exposed to different perspectives and given the opportunity to construct a personal view.

A lot of kids accept the political affiliations of their parents because that's the only thing they've ever known. Instead of this blind, unquestioning adoption of an opinion, facilitate conversations with both sides being adequately represented to form an opinion.

For this to happen, we've got to stop avoiding the subject of politics. Bring it up at the dinner table. Talk about it amongst friends. Ask people what they think. This doesn't force you to conform to the people around you - instead, it encourages your mind to think for itself and form personal opinions on what's happening all around us.

Today, try to initiate a conversation about politics. Become more comfortable with both sides of the argument. Get a feel for the atmosphere created and make it into a pleasant, relaxed one.