Asking inappropriate questions....

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I would like to know if it is inappropriate to ask people about there political views, I find when I'm talking to people I suddenly have the urge to ask them about there views on various topics as I do very much like debates and discussions. And if I may add I'm a thirteen year old girl so I'm not that sinister (well at least I don't think I am) and its mostly relatives that I talk to.

Thank you in advance, Best wishes S.Day

You might be asking the wrong person, but I don't think most people mind hearing intelligent questions from a 13 year old girl. Personally, I like to know I was not the only person in the world to have substance as a teenager, rather than substances.

As an adult, it's a little different. People generally feel more threatened when engaging in debates with those their age or older I think. A lot of adults are set in their ways and don't care to debate them, or have other things on their mind that they'd rather worry about. Though they usually still make exceptions for those much younger than them.

After you meet someone and are talking to someone for a while, you can bring up politics and maybe you and they will start talking about your views.

It's never inappropriate to bring up a subject, unless the subject is inappropriate

Religion and politics are two of the most sensitive subjects to discuss.

Religion is almost always something to avoid. It's a matter of faith, and really cannot be discussed logically. If you try, you're almost guaranteed to get a harsh response.

Politics is not quite as touchy, but you do have to be careful how you approach it. For many people, politics becomes a kind of religion - they've believed in the Democrat/Republican platform for so long, they are emotionally invested in that party to the point that they cannot see the other party's view at all. In my experience, really intelligent people realize that people who disagree with them may still have something worth hearing, and are happy to examine both sides of a question. The trouble is, you don't know which you're dealing with until you get into the conversation, and smart people are not nearly as common as might be hoped.

At 13, you'll probably get a lot more leeway than an adult would on this subject. Even people who are demagogues will probably look at a discussion with you as an opportunity to teach you why "their" side is the right one. If you pay close attention, you could also use it as a learning experience, and better recognize when people are/aren't comfortable with a particular subject.

"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."

For the reasons given above of course.