I am going through this with a lifelong friend. I'm struggling to understand how a person I thought was bright and rational, and good and kind, can't see through Trump. I feel the cultish-ness of it - the canned arguments (Hunter Biden!) and phrases (the people who are destroying this country!). It seems important to him that I "convert".
I am going through this with a lifelong friend. I'm struggling to understand how a person I thought was bright and rational, and good and kind, can't see through Trump. I feel the cultish-ness of it - the canned arguments (Hunter Biden!) and phrases (the people who are destroying this country!). It seems important to him that I "convert".
My best explanation is he is disappointed with life - he was the great high school athlete, and I was his geeky friend but somehow things didn't pan out as he expected. He talks a lot about the fun we had in the old days, when we were young. Actually, I think, with a different perspective, he could look back at his life with gratitude. But there is too much anger, it has to be someone's fault (those people) and there has to be a simple answer (Trump!).
After the last argument, when I just stood my ground (no, the truth is) we weren't talking, and I reached out to chat about something else. I'm relieved that he responded. The door is still open. But I've made it clear, if he's going down that road, I'm not going with him. And I hope it doesn't do him any harm or causes him to do harm to others or anything he forever regrets. Many of us are going through this. It reflects the poison that Trump has injected into our lives.
ca queens, that is an eloquent reply. It takes a swag at why an otherwise rational person and friend goes down that dirty, rutted road that ends in a bridge with a trap door. The friend you described pretty much matches the two I mentioned. Both were athletic and smart and they whine for a world (white, male dominated, though they don’t explicitly say so) that is crumbling before their eyes. I’ve known one since kindergarten, the other since 10th grade, and I’ve terminated the friendships… not without regret. I am puzzled and saddened by their allegiance to an ignorant, lying, amoral, cowardly sexist grifter and traitor.
My own sister is in the wind. When covid first arrived I called her and I asked her if she was vaxed. Her reply was straight out of Facebook. It took every fibre of my being not to go off on her. It took 2 deaths in her husbands side of her family to get vaxed.
I read a wonderful book decades ago called "Is There Life After High School?" that, among other subjects, describes your friend - the people who peaked in high school. I recommend it.
The president of my class of 488 was a mild-mannered star quarterback already engaged to a high-profile overachiever. He was prevented from attending the 10th reunion by being incarcerated for armed robbery.
My experience with a large number of my old high school friends mirrors yours. Half of us left for college the other half stayed behind and went about their lives as best they could. At reunions and when I receive email updates on the recent passing the divide is noticable. It started most noticeably when Obama was running and a couple in the class started sending/resending those vile mails about him, his parentage and citizenship and has continued with a lot of them parroting Fox and MAGA themes. At first, I tried to reason with them but to no avail. A lot of them are simply G-O-N-E down the rabbit hole.
I am going through this with a lifelong friend. I'm struggling to understand how a person I thought was bright and rational, and good and kind, can't see through Trump. I feel the cultish-ness of it - the canned arguments (Hunter Biden!) and phrases (the people who are destroying this country!). It seems important to him that I "convert".
My best explanation is he is disappointed with life - he was the great high school athlete, and I was his geeky friend but somehow things didn't pan out as he expected. He talks a lot about the fun we had in the old days, when we were young. Actually, I think, with a different perspective, he could look back at his life with gratitude. But there is too much anger, it has to be someone's fault (those people) and there has to be a simple answer (Trump!).
After the last argument, when I just stood my ground (no, the truth is) we weren't talking, and I reached out to chat about something else. I'm relieved that he responded. The door is still open. But I've made it clear, if he's going down that road, I'm not going with him. And I hope it doesn't do him any harm or causes him to do harm to others or anything he forever regrets. Many of us are going through this. It reflects the poison that Trump has injected into our lives.
ca queens, that is an eloquent reply. It takes a swag at why an otherwise rational person and friend goes down that dirty, rutted road that ends in a bridge with a trap door. The friend you described pretty much matches the two I mentioned. Both were athletic and smart and they whine for a world (white, male dominated, though they don’t explicitly say so) that is crumbling before their eyes. I’ve known one since kindergarten, the other since 10th grade, and I’ve terminated the friendships… not without regret. I am puzzled and saddened by their allegiance to an ignorant, lying, amoral, cowardly sexist grifter and traitor.
My own sister is in the wind. When covid first arrived I called her and I asked her if she was vaxed. Her reply was straight out of Facebook. It took every fibre of my being not to go off on her. It took 2 deaths in her husbands side of her family to get vaxed.
I read a wonderful book decades ago called "Is There Life After High School?" that, among other subjects, describes your friend - the people who peaked in high school. I recommend it.
The president of my class of 488 was a mild-mannered star quarterback already engaged to a high-profile overachiever. He was prevented from attending the 10th reunion by being incarcerated for armed robbery.
My experience with a large number of my old high school friends mirrors yours. Half of us left for college the other half stayed behind and went about their lives as best they could. At reunions and when I receive email updates on the recent passing the divide is noticable. It started most noticeably when Obama was running and a couple in the class started sending/resending those vile mails about him, his parentage and citizenship and has continued with a lot of them parroting Fox and MAGA themes. At first, I tried to reason with them but to no avail. A lot of them are simply G-O-N-E down the rabbit hole.
They don't want to come back.
https://youtu.be/6vQpW9XRiyM?si=n9sf9ckwuqoBuvz9
They are stuck in their glory days….