By Bob ShepardUAB NewsThis election, perhaps as no other before, threatens to destroy longstanding friendships and relationships, according to Josh Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Your reaction to individuals with different political views is really about you, not about them,” Klapow said. Because of the election, many people are sharing views that they might otherwise have kept to themselves. Weigh the impact of political views on defining the person. Remind yourself you likely have friends with different religious beliefs, different ethnic backgrounds, different thoughts about childrearing, sports and a whole host of topics.