Some people make it work, but in these rare cases, there is a caveat.

Dating someone with opposing political views isn’t strictly about what party each person votes for.

It’s about someone’s station.

A person’s politics are a strong reflection of who they are as a person and what their worldview is.

The rare few who make this work are those who have opposing political views in a number of areas, but agree with each other on a few.

This means either party can center their relationship on the political views that they agree on, and respectfully agree to disagree on what they don’t.

On the contrary, when two people tow their political party lines, there is no wiggle room for agreement on anything.

Yet, in the beginning, these two people can trick themselves into believing that they can make a relationship work.

This is when they are so enamored with each other physically and emotionally, that they choose to ignore the fact that they have opposing political views.

This is the honeymoon phase of their relationship, which lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.

Dopamine, a feel-good hormone and neurotransmitter released in the brain that gives you pleasure, is circulating on a high in your bloodstream, obfuscating the true reality of your relationship.

While in this honeymoon phase, neither one of you is taking into account that there are opposing political views that are bound to become an issue, once the physical attraction and dopamine wears off.

You are on such a high for each other that you make excuses for said opposing political views.

The sad part about all of this is that it is only a matter of time before that dopamine high wears off, the honeymoon phase ends, and you are suddenly fighting with each other.

In addition to this, the friends and family members in your social circles are a significant influence in all of this.

The people in your life have the same political views that you do, and those in her life have the same political views that she does.

Unlike the two of you, who have feelings for each other, the people in your life and hers don’t have romantic feelings for each other.

This means that either group won’t be anywhere near as tolerant of each other as the two of you have been with each other.

Inevitably, these two disparate groups are destined to be in the same social settings every so often, attending family get-togethers, birthday parties, baby showers, engagement parties, anniversary parties, etc., that you and her are a part of.

Without the influence of a dopamine high, these two disparate groups won’t be tolerant of each other, leading to fights about religion, philosophy, government policies, worldviews, etc.

These disagreements from outside influences will put a strain on your relationship with her.

As the dopamine high in your relationship diminishes, and the honeymoon phase comes to a close, you struggle to withstand the pressure from friends and family on either side that hate each other’s guts.

Are you prepared for all of this?

As aforementioned, the partnerships that have the highest odds of working out in these circumstances are those where there are opposing political views, but agreement in some.

In cases like this, you build the relationship on what you see eye to eye on, and agree to disagree in the areas you don’t.

Without this balance, it’s near impossible to date someone who has opposing political views over the long term.