It’s 3:43am. After spending endless hours trying to complete a math pushet with a deadline of 5 hours, I am exhausted and exhausted. Finally, sleep deprivation set in. I have to sleep. I have to. But the most thrilling conversations are revealed between friends. I still can’t sleep. You suddenly feel energized and ready to engage in a heated political debate. They are having a conversation and I have to join in.
“So, do you understand…”
And then it begins. Someone monologues about their thoughts and opinions on a particular topic. Then branch out into several different topics as you tackle one at a time. They often overlap and we get confused. After all, it’s 3am. As someone who is not a morning person, I have watched the sunrise many times.
From understanding the nuances of American politics to engaging in international politics, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a variety of political discussions with a diverse group of friends. I think this is the best atmosphere you can get at a university like Stanford. It allows and even encourages people from all walks of life to present their interesting perspectives. I definitely noticed that the political conversation and the way it was conducted was very different compared to my homeland in India. Since there are only two political parties, the conversation here will be related to political parties and their leaders. Especially since I don’t know much about or get involved in local politics. But back home, the conversation usually revolves around the main party and the opposition. For me, I find it easier to dive into local politics.
Not only did I learn how American politics works as an international student, but I also had long conversations with friends explaining Indian politics and how it works. Especially since there have been so many elections around the world this year, it was fun to talk about how elections worked in India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and several other countries. Discussing political perspectives on their own elections with peers from these countries not only exposes you to a variety of political views, but the international diaspora on campus allows you to see countries and cultures in a more realistic light. It’s quite fun because it prompts you to understand. .
Having meaningful conversations that not only make you feel heard and seen, but also show that the person you’re talking to is listening and more curious than you expected are all valuable. (Especially if you forget a few hours of conversation) Sleep! ).
However, there are also instances where such conversations have become more polarized and discordant. The main reason is that there are some differences of opinion on sensitive issues and the majority of people participating in such political discussions do not agree with each other and consider the point of view of others. This is because I find it difficult. This is, of course, to be expected. Tensions arise as people are ridiculed, frowned upon, and directly disagreed.
It can be difficult to disagree with friends politically, especially when politics is a regular topic of conversation within the group. Usually it always comes down to trust, and I think that’s really important in conversations like this. You need to trust that the other person will actively listen. You need to be able to trust that your opinions and political views will be kept confidential. They need to know they can be trusted too. Only then, especially on a campus like Stanford, will we be able to have conversations that have such heavy and sensitive content.
