"Because most holiday meals and events last several hours, it can be very aggravating to be cornered (or even pursued) by that aunt, uncle, cousin, or other relative who insists upon talking at you about things like politics, climate change, vaccines, or other potentially inflaming topics. Many people in those situations respond defensively because they feel like they're being attacked. This generally leads to a "my beliefs are good, and yours are evil" or "my facts v. your facts" argument,"
"and may even get the aggressive relative to back off. Here's the trick. Rather than challenging their beliefs (or their overt misinformation), try this: When your relative says something aggressive like "[Your candidate] is a liar and a criminal," or "Those vaccines don't work and have killed millions of people," or " COVID was a government hoax to take away our jobs," in a calm voice, just say, "That sounds right.""
Holiday gatherings often last hours, increasing exposure to relatives or friends who press conflicting or misinformed views on politics, climate, vaccines, or COVID. Defensive reactions commonly escalate into confrontations framed as opposing facts or moral judgments, which can deflate the celebratory atmosphere. A practical approach is disengagement rather than direct challenge: calmly acknowledge aggressive or false statements with a brief, noncommittal response such as "That sounds right." This deflection does not imply agreement, but it diffuses interpersonal tension, prevents anger, shortens the interaction, and helps maintain the holiday mood while encouraging the aggressive party to back off.
Read at Psychology Today
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