I'm having a bit of a tough time today. My boyfriend finally decided that us having 'agreed to disagree' over politics isn't enough, and he just can't deal with me holding a different opinion. He said he had no wish to change my opinion and that I have every right to disagree, but that he just can't live with it and it's too big a divide.
We've had political disagreements in the past and while I thought we'd always managed to resolve the issue and move on, he's apparently held onto those grievances and stewed over them. Since lockdown started he's had way more free time to spend on social media and has become increasingly hard-line in his beliefs and negative in his outlook. Even pointing out simple facts that contradict leftist narratives has resulted in him ranting at me for 2-3 hours, before finally calming down and apologizing. I'm heartbroken for our relationship and for him - that he's been so thoroughly brainwashed he feels nothing but anger and pessimism, that he's now ashamed of his country, and feels guilty for things he hasn't done.
I feel like I've lost my best friend because of Facebook. This sucks.
[EDIT: Thank you everyone for your very kind replies. You've given me some good food for thought, and helped me feel a little less isolated and adrift. It may take me a little while, but I'll try to reply to you all as I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thank you all again!]
[EDIT 2: I'm absolutely overwhelmed with the kindness of all your replies, thank you all so much! It's so refreshing to receive so much support from like-minded people, when I'm usually mired in the constant negativity of living in a deep blue state.]
[EDIT 3: Well, this absolutely blew up over the last few hours. I'm so, so humbled by the warmth and care you've all shown me - this really is the greatest community! Although it hurt to see him take his things and leave this morning, I already feel a little better and lighter, and that's in no small part thanks to all of your comments. I can't reply to each of you individually anymore, but thank you all.]
I’m sorry that you are sad. Perhaps tomorrow you can start trying to think of this as a positive thing. In the Bible, there is a passage that talks about how it is not a good idea to be be in a close relationship with someone who has beliefs that are too different from yours:
2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV
Being unequally yoked is referring to a pair of oxen pulling a cart or wagon. If the two oxen are not roughly the same size then one of them will be stronger than the other, which will lead to the wagon being pulled in a big circle instead of going straight forward. The same thing can happen in our relationships. You are just stronger than your ex is right now, and now you can move forward with your life instead of circling back to the same arguments without any progress being made.
Wonderful post, thanks for that. I’ve had to part ways with friends over this. Sometimes it’s their political brainwashing, sometimes it’s just a lower level of consciousness. I work too hard on myself in perfecting my mind and soul than to try to pull more than my weight, having to always clear my energy and rebuild after these interactions. I recently lost not only a friend but the entire social group that goes with it (he hosts) and I’m actually fine with it. Better than compromising my values. I don’t even date anyone who is on the left and am also in a Blue state. I really couldn’t respect them at this point, and respect is essential to attraction. So OP, I know it hurts now, and boy does it hurt a lot, no way around that, but you are better off alone than with someone like this.
This is a lesson my father taught me by example. I love the Fruits of The Spirit for this exact point you’re making: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. A part of self-control includes knowing when to un-yolk yourself from relationships that burden you from bettering yourself & them.
I wouldn’t say I have any great insight, I just occasionally remember enough of a passage of scripture to look up something relevant to a situation.