{"id":42316,"date":"2025-07-08T14:13:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/do-you-choose-the-relationship-or-the-truth-a-psychologists-advice-during-times-of-political-and-social-turmoil\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T14:58:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:58:37","slug":"alegi-relatia-sau-adevarul-sfatul-unui-psiholog-in-perioadele-de-tulburari-politice-si-sociale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/alegi-relatia-sau-adevarul-sfatul-unui-psiholog-in-perioadele-de-tulburari-politice-si-sociale\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201eAlegi rela\u021bia sau adev\u0103rul?\u201d Sfatul unui psiholog \u00een perioadele de tulbur\u0103ri politice \u0219i sociale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Psychologist Simona \u0218tefan, an associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babe\u0219-Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca, explained on <\/span>Reporter Medical TV<\/span><\/i><\/a> some of the psychological mechanisms fueling these tensions and offered concrete advice on how to better navigate this emotionally charged period.<\/span><\/p>\n

Polarization is a normal phenomenon \u2014 but amplified by context<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cPolarization is natural in electoral contexts, especially when the stakes are high and the choices come down to two fundamental options. This was also the case with Brexit or the recent presidential elections in Romania,\u201d says Simona \u0218tefan.<\/span><\/p>\n

The situation worsens, however, when one of the camps is perceived as extremist \u2014 a perception often fed by the media or even by the rhetoric of political candidates. \u201cWhen someone attacks your values \u2014 democracy, faith, tolerance, or tradition \u2014 you feel personally attacked. And the response inevitably becomes emotional.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Personal choices, collective consequences<\/b><\/h3>\n

The psychologist draws attention to a frequently overlooked aspect: in such contexts, it\u2019s not just your vote that\u2019s on the line, but your very identity. \u201cWhen a vote seems to threaten what you consider fundamental to your life, the reaction becomes visceral. It\u2019s no longer just about ideas \u2014 it\u2019s about who you are as a person,\u201d she explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

This emotional charge explains why arguments even erupt within families: \u201cI\u2019ve seen couples break up, siblings who no longer speak. It\u2019s real \u2014 and unfortunately, it\u2019s not just in Romania. The same has happened in the US and the UK.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The online space: where voice becomes weapon<\/b><\/h3>\n

Much of this conflict spills over into the online space, where \u2014 the psychologist says \u2014 aggressive communication is fueled by subtle psychological mechanisms: \u201cPosts generate reactions, comments get likes, and the conflict becomes addictive. It\u2019s a cycle of validation and confrontation that can become compulsive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her recommendation is to reflect on the intention behind each post or comment. \u201cAm I venting? Informing? Provoking? Or just trying to hurt someone? If we want harmony, we need to avoid insults and personal attacks. You\u2019re not going to convince anyone by calling them stupid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The tough choice between being right and keeping a relationship<\/b><\/h3>\n

In close relationships, political conflict can become a choice between two fundamental human needs: self-expression and connection. \u201cWe need to ask ourselves: is it worth sacrificing the relationship over a political opinion? Maybe it\u2019s not about compromise, but about deciding what matters more to you at that moment,\u201d says Simona \u0218tefan.<\/span><\/p>\n

One solution: temporary distance or avoiding tense topics. \u201cAgree to disagree\u201d can be a lifesaving strategy for friendships or families that might otherwise fall apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is education a shield against radicalization?<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the psychologist\u2019s view, education plays a significant \u2014 but not exclusive \u2014 role. \u201cThe way you gather information, how you argue your points, how you express yourself \u2014 all of these are influenced by education. But there are people with various levels of education on both sides. It\u2019s not just about diplomas, but about your willingness to listen and think critically.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The media and its responsibility<\/b><\/h3>\n

Simona \u0218tefan also emphasizes that the media should take responsibility for reducing tensions: \u201cPresenting the truth, providing context, and avoiding excessive polarization should be priorities. Unfortunately, the media often plays both sides: audience loyalty versus social responsibility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The takeaway?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Tensions during election periods can\u2019t be completely avoided. But we can choose how we respond. We can choose what price we\u2019re willing to pay for being \u201cright.\u201d And perhaps most importantly, we can choose to preserve our essential relationships, even when our opinions divide us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBetween truth and the relationship, sometimes it\u2019s worth choosing the latter,\u201d concludes psychologist Simona \u0218tefan.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Psychologist Simona \u0218tefan, an associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babe\u0219-Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca, explained on Reporter Medical TV some of the psychological mechanisms fueling these tensions and offered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":42299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[714],"tags":[8283,8284,3060,8285,8286,8287],"post_formats":[664],"coauthors":[4075],"class_list":["post-42316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualitate","tag-elections-and-emotions-ro","tag-media-responsibility-ro","tag-political-polarization-ro","tag-psychology-of-conflict-ro","tag-relationships-vs-truth-ro","tag-simona-stefan-ubb-cluj-napoca-ro","post_formats-articole"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42316"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42318,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42316\/revisions\/42318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42316"},{"taxonomy":"post_formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=42316"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=42316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}