I’ve talked about this before, but it seems to be that sort of time again. This is going to be a challenging post to write, but it is also necessary. How do you write heroically (i.e., write in line with your personal conscience) if the work you are doing conflicts with your personal beliefs? The short version, I would say, is to rein in your urge to talk or write in a way that might alienate coworkers or managers and save your unabashed feelings for social media. If that becomes impossible, you might want to consider changing work locations, circumstances permitting. I have more thoughts below.

The Painful Truth

Whether you’re reading this from the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, you might have noticed that the national political discourse has become a bit…tense. And yet my inner pragmatist understands that bills must be paid. My inner idealist would like to say whatever the hell he wants. And let there be no doubt: I have opinions. The content of those opinions is not the point of today’s post–how one might express them is.

The goal today is to help you, the conflicted technical writer working in a politically charged environment get your thoughts expressed without jeopardizing your job. Because here’s the ugly secret about the First Amendment: it restrains Congress from passing any laws restricting what you say. That’s not the same thing as preventing your coworkers or neighbors for taking umbrage with what you say or your employer from firing you for expressing opinions that disagree with theirs.

So you need to keep your sharper opinions out of your work to a point.

Examples of Restraining Yourself

Let’s say you’re writing a proposal in response to a solicitation that resulted from one political party’s agenda or another. You might or might not agree with that party. And here’s another point to consider: the people reviewing your proposal might not agree with that party, either. Therefore, while it might seem like “good politics” to mention that your company’s proposal meets the expectations of Politician A’s public speeches on the topic, that might or might not be a good selling point. Can you guarantee that your proposal will be read only by people with that viewpoint?

You cannot.

Therefore, it makes more sense to stick with the language of the solicitation and what it is requesting. You never know who’s reading, so why make enemies unnecessarily?

Likewise, if you’re writing marketing materials, your employers might favor one side of the current political debate or another and would like to cash in on the ascendancy of one political party or the other. Michael Jordan, the great NBA player on my hometown team, once quipped that “Republicans buy shoes, too.” While the comment might have been said in jest, he was making a marketing decision: he didn’t want to alienate half the country and, potentially, half his sponsor Nike’s potential customers.

Expressing Your Opinions Safely

Again, while it might be safer to keep your political opinions to yourself until you’re off duty, you might find yourself in a political conversation on a break or even in a meeting. You can try any number of approaches, depending on the context and the topic:

• Say that you prefer not to answer.
• If your opinion differs greatly from the majority (or the leader) in the room, you might couch your opinion as a hypothetical: “If I was a voter for X, I might react with…” and then express your opinion as someone else’s.
• Stand your ground politely but firmly, “I believe…” You can express your opinion, even if it’s contrary, if you can speak diplomatically and explain dispassionately what you believe and why without getting angry or insulting to the other side.
• Another approach would be to ask, again in a hypothetical mode, “How do you suppose someone with [X beliefs] would respond to this material? Perhaps we should rephrase it to read…””

I get it: you’re human. You’re going to have opinions. You might even hold very passionate ones, especially if the political environment is leaning toward violence. And trust me, I’m there. If you find that the political situation in your workplace is becoming uncomfortable or borderline hostile, you can state that, too. Or say, “I would prefer that we not discuss this in the workplace.” There are all sorts of laws on the books regarding hostile workplaces, so that can cut the conversation short, albeit a bit uncomfortably. If the hostile comments or unpleasant jokes do not stop, you can make a formal complaint.

Or, if that won’t fix things, you might find yourself better off working somewhere else. Just be prepared to conjure up a diplomatic answer if you get asked in your next interview, “Why did you leave your last job?” That’s a topic for another day.

Being Heroic on Your Own Time

If you know enough about yourself to understand that you don’t keep your cool well in political arguments, keep it to yourself at work and join like-minded friends or fellow citizens in your free time. Join peaceful demonstrations. Write your elected officials. Post signs in your window or yard. Write blogs (like this one) expressing your opinion with the firm caveat that your opinions do not necessarily reflect your employer’s. Your free time is your own, and as long as you are not pushing it on your coworkers or passing around flyers in the office, your employer can’t do much about it. 

Is all that restraint terribly heroic? Maybe not. You take what chances you feel work for you. You might lose a few jobs along the way. If employment stability is important to you and you are a strong advocate, you might be better off working as a political advocate. Man the barricades! By all means, if that’s you, do that. If you’re not keen on arguing all day, you might consider some of the tips I’ve suggested above. Much like our elected officials, I believe you’d probably be better off trying to appeal to a majority of your fellow citizens in your daily conversation, if only out of politeness, unless you like arguing all the time. That’s your business.

Otherwise, be heroically you and live within the constraints of your conscience. You know what you can tolerate and when your personal red line has been crossed. And when the current fracas ends, you will still have people who disagree with you as your friends, neighbors, coworkers, or customers. Politics will never really go away, however we might wish it otherwise.