I am so conflict-avoidant that I’m now at the point that most people in my life don’t actually have any idea I’m even close to being a commie. I really want to start expressing myself more openly and honestly - especially since I feel like I’m actually harming my mental health by not saying how I feel - but I always feel held back. Any tips on improving this are appreciated.
Start with people that are close to you, that you can trust, and open up to them first.
Do it 1-on-1 instead of facing multiple people at once.
And show nothing but full confidence, even when they ridicule you.
Idk, for me I got practice by weeding out acquaintances. I’m okay with people not 100% agreeing with me, but I don’t want friends who would think less of me for my political views. Better to get rid of them early imo. Also there’s less on the line, which should make it easier to be direct and upfront.
The 1-on-1 thing is definitely good advice. People will be much more open to listen when they’re not worried about what a third party might think.
Yeah, that’s certainly another valid way of handling it. I guess it depends on what kind of people OP is dealing with.