My (indigenous) girlfriend said something recently that I just have no clue how to grasp.
Disclaimer: I've always been really bad at explaining opinions/making arguments to people.
We are amerikkkan (sorry)
We we're talking about china and it's modern government. This had always been a sensitive topic for us: I usually state something to the effect of "there are some very real problems with china but the country is an overal good for not only the people but the whole world." Whilst they take strong problem with destruction of historical artifacts/art during the revolution (they are an art historian) and find it irredemable. The thing that really confused me recently was them equating the "nepalese cultural genocide" (I have no real knowledge of what they are talking about) to the genocide of their people. For added detail, they and their tribe are currently fighting for the preservation of what remains of the tribe's historical artifacts.
I don't want to add many personal details but it should suffice to say their tribe was almost completely wiped out.)
Am I just off base for not understanding what they are talking about here? This comparison seems completely wild to me and I don't know if I'm just being insensitive or something.
As a general rule of thumb from my dumb ass who wouldn't exactly point to their own relationships as bona fides, nobody is asking you to change their mind. The most effective and easy change you can make is in your own approach and strategy. You'd probably have a happier relationship if you just listened to what they had to say with active listening and follow up questions instead of trying to be right at all and only give an opinion upon request. Do I think there's a piece of cultural memorabilia that's worth more than a human life? Fuck no, don't be ridiculous. Do I want a significant other? Yeah, kinda. Would I love you if you were a worm? Of course, babe.
The active listening thing is something I should do more. This was a requested conversation topic