That’s my advice to this guy – though he seems to have arrived at the same conclusion on his own, and good for him. I don’t understand how he could have stayed in the political closet for so many years, but maybe that’s just me. Being discreet about your beliefs (in our society; I’m not talking about Iran) may help your career in some industries, and makes socializing easier in some places, but it has costs. Being open about who you are makes it easier to meet like-minded people – there are usually more of them around than you think – and you get to find out who your friends really are. You also won’t be as conflicted in dealing with people, which means you’ll get along better even with the ones whose values you don’t share. Think of it as a way to transfer the burden of worrying about your unconventional beliefs from you to someone else, for a change. As for people like Stern’s blind date, who fled when she learned he is a Republican, fuck ’em. Life’s too short to hang around with jerks, and he was wise to force the issue with a prospective marriage partner. This is why, contra conventional wisdom, it’s not necessarily a bad idea to discuss politics when you go on a date. Then, if things go really well, you can make the second date a trip to the shooting range.
(via Instapundit)