I don’t talk about politics or religion at the workplace, yet there is a drama queen that loves just blurting out what she thinks to everyone around.
My way to go so far has been to ignore her, but sometimes I just want to yell at her how incoherent she is.
Then I’d be the one starting drama I guess…
I’m looking for advice to deal with these kind of people. I don’t want to work listening to conspiracy theories.
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“Please don’t talk about politics in the workplace. It is unprofessional.”
People like that routinely ignore polite exhortations.
Skill issue
Are you trying to blame the victim here?
I didn’t suggest being polite.
For the discussed situation, you response is so neutered that it verges on transparently hypocritical.
Talk to your boss in private and say that political talk at the workplace makes you uncomfortable and you don’t think it’s appropriate.
This is the political answer
I straight up called a coworker, in public, a brainless idiot for falling for right wing propaganda and then spent the next half hour mocking his views.
He never spoke about them again.
I can never seem to articulate what I think, so talking politics is very difficult to me. I would love to be able to mock someone’s brain dead political views for 5 minutes. 30 seems inconceivable. Good on ya!
Right, I’m very conclusion oriented. So while I might know that I did validly get to a certain view or conclusion, I don’t always know well enough why to the point I can explain it to others or argue with someone about it.
This can even be something as simple as why I chose one product over the other. I know I had good reasons for choosing the laptop I did when I bought it, but if you ask me what specifically about it made me choose it over another I probably can’t tell you.
Wish this would work, it wouldn’t. When your company is 95% on the opposite side of your views, you just become the crazy person. The whispers begin, then the group jabs, then the outcast etc etc. You know you’re the sane one, but that’s not how the majority thinks of you.
Changing jobs is always an option.
Wow, such smart, much progressive! No brainless idiot at all!
I’m not sure what your plan was with this comment but if it was anything other than to showcase your room temperature IQ, it didn’t succeed.
IMO you just came across as an arrogant jerk with your comment, who might as well be the type of “drama queen” OP was talking about. Somehow if you hold “the right” political views, it makes it ok.
The reason people find it ok to tell a right wing cunt to shut up is because usually you have to be a massive donkey or a proper cunt to believe it’s ok to make other people’s lives difficult just because they are different.
People who are able to think for longer than 5 seconds in a row without requiring immediate medical assistance tend to see through the constant distractions, bullshit and lies of the right wing.
Now piddle off.
You might as well be a donkey to believe in right wing propaganda, but you have to be a pathetic spiteful jerk to be so angry at everyone holding different views. Because in your system there can be no different views, only the “correct” propaganda, which you believe in as god’s honest truth. Did you also cry and had to take a day off when Trump won? The problem with libs is - they tend to wish reality into existence. “I think it’s true, so it must be”. “Everyone disagreeing with me is a fascist cunt and must be exterminated, or worse, cancelled”.
“Look at the polls, people are tired of your bullshit. - No, it can’t be, it’s all Russian / Chinese propaganda”
“Your present is brain-dead and his successor can’t sit through a real interview for more than 5 minutes” - “I will still support him, and then be devastated when they horribly lose”
“Mr President and his son are part of a corruption scheme in another country” - “This is ridiculous”, “OK, might be actually true”, “B-b-but what about Trump!”
I was once holding the same views, hated everyone else and believed in every word they said. I was really disappointed when it started showing through the cracks. Not because they lie (because, apparently, everyone does), but because they were always on their high horse and always sowing panic.
but you have to be a pathetic spiteful jerk to be so angry at everyone holding different views.
Yes because right wing cunts are known for being extremely tolerant of others. We’re not talking about ‘different views’. We’re talking about harmful views. People who think it’s ok to make people miserable just because they’re different. So fuck off.
“Everyone disagreeing with me is a fascist cunt and must be exterminated, or worse, cancelled”
Considering I largely disagree with fascists, if you disagree with me then there’s a solid chance you’re a fascist, yes.
And there’s a known cure for fascism.
Did you also cry and had to take a day off when Trump won?
I’m not american, but I guarantee you that if the right wing won in my country, I would need far more than a day off, not to cry, but to set shit on fire. Americans are weak people.
Fuck off, nazi sympathiser.
Headphones and a volume dial that goes to 11.
Or noise canceling headphones, and only up to 5 so you don’t destroy your hearing.
Well, it’s one louder, innit?
Not no tiny ones either, or they’ll still walk up to you with their nonsense. Get some bigass highly visible headphones.
They when they start yapping at you anyway pretend you can’t hear them. When they start waving around frantically in front of you, and this is the important part, slowly take off the headphones, look at them sideways and go “huh?”. Make them repeat themselves. Don’t engage. Get back to work asap with the headphones again.
Eventually they’ll tire of this song and dance every time and move on to someone else. Hopefully.
I, personally, have always been fond of headphones that double as ear muffs. Back in the day that meant Sennheisers - it may mean something else now, though.
Honestly, just tell her you’d rather not talk about politics. It can be incredibly passive. You do not need to elaborate. You can make up something simple like “I just want to focus on work while I’m at work,” it doesn’t even need to make sense. If she pushes back, drop it, but don’t ever say it’s okay for her to do. Then if she keeps doing it talk to your manager about it. “I’ve talked to her and asked her not to talk about politics, but she insists. I find it distracting.” Again, it doesn’t necessarily need to make sense and it doesn’t need to be over the top. Now,. hopefully your manager will sort it out. Because if it’s annoying you it’s likely annoying others.
This is probably the best and most realistic answer here. Just tell them that you’re here to work and not chitchat. I’ve done a similar thing when asked why I don’t take a break so we (my superior and I) could go on break together. I work less than 6 hours so I’m not legally required to go on a 30 minute break.
Smh at a few of those other comments that read more like someone trying to write bad fanfiction.
I don’t think you should be quiet, it makes them feel like everyone is agreeing with them and makes everyone miserable. Time to introduce you to my favorite game to play with conservatives, Politics Judo!
So you hear them rant about a thing. Some dumbass talking point. Let’s use gun control. It’s pretty easy to know in advance what the talking points are since they never shut up and parrot the same problem and solution over and over. “Shouldn’t take guns, it’s a mental problem not a gun problem”.
Things are basically boiled down to a problem and a solution. A lot of people try to convince people that the problem isn’t what people think it is, and that’s hard to do. Even if they are just misinformed, it feels like trying to dismiss their fears.
So what you do is you agree with the problem, then use lefty talking points as the solution.
“Oh yeah, gun violence is pretty bad! And I love the Constitution, we shouldn’t mess with that!” (Use small words and also throw in some patriotism, makes them feel like you’re on their side. You want to sound like a right wing media con artist) “so instead of taking guns away, we should instead start having more, free, mental health care in this country. Since it’s a mental health problem and these people are crazy, that is the solution that makes the most sense!” (Don’t try to get them to agree to your solution, just state it as the obvious one)
It becomes weaponized cognitive dissonance. Their brains fry because you said the things you should to agree with them, flagged yourself as an ally, but then said the thing they were told is the bad and shouldn’t want.
If they try to argue with your solution, rinse and repeat to a different talking point. “Oh yeah it might cost more, and we shouldn’t have to pay more for it, so we should get the rich people who are screwing average hard working Americans over by not paying taxes to do that. We should shut down tax loopholes and increase funding to the IRS so they can go after them instead of the little guy”
Always sound like you’re agreeing with them, but giving solutions that they disagree with that seem to be off topic but are related.
Either they will get flustered and stop, or they will slip up and say something racist or sexist or something, and then you can have HR bust them. Document it and also see if you’re in a single party consent state.
I do something similar but yours is more comprehensive and elaborate.
Thank you for your response.
I love how you immediately pegged her politics, without any actual indication where on the spectrum she was. You, in your fictional scenario, actually repeated a common one among 2nd amendment die hards, mental health services not confiscations.
It was pretty easy to pick up on.
I’ve had to deal with a family member like that and managed to shock them into shutting up about it in my company. “If you are going to shove your politics into everyone’s faces you’ll have to listen to my opinions too. You know what I think about <insert their favorite politician>? I’d love to spend my weekend slowly drowning them in a barrel of cat piss, but I’m worried it’s too good for them.” 3 years later not a pip.
ignoring them is the best thing. when you start feeling super annoyed, that’s a good time to take a break & walk away for a few mins.
also, the headphones suggestion is on point.
Try to maintain a safe distance of at least 30 m at all times. If you’re stuck with her in the same room, ask lots of work related questions and keep the conversation strictly professional. Dry work stuff only. The more boring the better. As soon as the conversation is about to go off the rails, steer it back.
Mind your own business, Sarah. I know it’s you.
Someone already mentioned going to HR or talking to your boss, but if you really want to shut it down just call her out on her bullshit. Make her explain her position and ask followup questions until she can’t respond. She’s just parroting some talking head, and you can even make a game out of trying to figure out which one she’s channeling
Reply to them in a “really? Aren’t you just adorable” tone of voice. Don’t engage with what they’re saying but treat them way you would treat a puppy that has just learned not to crap on the rug. Or a mental patient.
“Trump says he’s going to fix everything two weeks after he takes office!”
“Really? That’s amazing! Here I was thinking that you hadn’t thought this through, when clearly you had.”
When you figure it out, please let me know.
One option…lean in, HARD! Dial the crazy up to 11… One up every point she makes, every single time.
Many, if not most large companies and government agencies have workplace harassment policies. If you find out what you’re covered by, and make your views known, the behavior of this individual could be reportable.
It’s a long road, but
