Five Steps To Discussing A Controversial Topic In Group Conversation

We’ve all been there. You’re having a nice outing with friends, and someone decides to bring a controversial topic up that has little to nothing to do with what anyone was talking about.

Everyone has their pet peeves. Some people feel the need to air them to everyone they meet at inappropriate moments.

So what should we do?

Most of us try to wriggle our way out of the topic by any means necessary. It’s in our nature to avoid conflict. Others thrive in it and wage an obnoxious counterattack.

If you find yourself in this situation and want to make an intelligent contribution without sounding pretentious, here are five steps I find helpful.

As a disclaimer, these may not fit your personality. Maybe you prefer to retreat. Maybe you’re already a pro at one-upping the proselytizer and already know how to out-debate the most opinionated law student. Keep in mind, though, that these are just steps I personally find useful.

1. Ask Yourself: Do I know much about this topic?

The first question I ask myself when someone inserts politics or a potentially controversial topic is whether I know enough about this topic to intelligently opine on it.