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Telling someone they will more conservative as they get older is a great in innoculation against that event occurring.

mech422 6y ago
Perhaps... I've also read it cyclic, with the pendulum swinging from very conservative to very liberal every couple of generations ?
kibwen 6y ago
People don't get more conservative as they get older, they get more conservative when they have more to lose. It just so happens that as people get older they tend to get houses, families, long-term careers, etc, which tilts them towards preserving the status quo in amber so as not to threaten what they have. And if, hypothetically, a generation were to grow up and find themselves unable to afford a home of their own, unable to afford a family, and unable to land a career, they will find themselves with very little to lose and very little incentive to preserve the status quo, regardless of their age.
- berryjerry 6y ago
  People get more conservative as they get older because they realize things cost money, how hard they have to work to earn it, and how bad the government is at spending it for them. I'd say modern day conservativism is more akin to individualism - don't let others spend money for you because you spend your money more wisely, and if you don't it's your fault. I think you'll find most young people don't even make the correlation that everything governments spend costs money and that money comes from their own pockets. They usually consider the government to have infinite money and have barely stopped being taken care of by their parents or still are. You even see cities like Detroit going bankrupt because, no, governments don't have infinite money. You do have to pick and choose what to spend it on and you can't get everything that just sounds nice.
  - joepie91_ 6y ago
    This is not only incredibly patronizing, but also just false.
  - aaron-santos 6y ago
    Let me put it this way. Young people see their elders espouse these views. They associate conservative ideas with being patronizing. This actively pushes them away from conservative ideology. This occurs whether or not the views themselves are correct. Change people's minds by being less patronizing not more.
  - confidantlake 6y ago
    Modern conservatives loves to spend taxpayer money right up until they are out of office. Not a peep about the budget deficits the past 4 years, but now suddenly it matters again.
- refurb 6y ago
  Wrong. As they get older the Overton window shifts beneath them.

Perhaps... I've also read it cyclic, with the pendulum swinging from very conservative to very liberal every couple of generations ?

kibwen 6y ago

People don't get more conservative as they get older, they get more conservative when they have more to lose. It just so happens that as people get older they tend to get houses, families, long-term careers, etc, which tilts them towards preserving the status quo in amber so as not to threaten what they have. And if, hypothetically, a generation were to grow up and find themselves unable to afford a home of their own, unable to afford a family, and unable to land a career, they will find themselves with very little to lose and very little incentive to preserve the status quo, regardless of their age.

berryjerry 6y ago
People get more conservative as they get older because they realize things cost money, how hard they have to work to earn it, and how bad the government is at spending it for them. I'd say modern day conservativism is more akin to individualism - don't let others spend money for you because you spend your money more wisely, and if you don't it's your fault. I think you'll find most young people don't even make the correlation that everything governments spend costs money and that money comes from their own pockets. They usually consider the government to have infinite money and have barely stopped being taken care of by their parents or still are. You even see cities like Detroit going bankrupt because, no, governments don't have infinite money. You do have to pick and choose what to spend it on and you can't get everything that just sounds nice.
- joepie91_ 6y ago
  This is not only incredibly patronizing, but also just false.
- aaron-santos 6y ago
  Let me put it this way. Young people see their elders espouse these views. They associate conservative ideas with being patronizing. This actively pushes them away from conservative ideology. This occurs whether or not the views themselves are correct. Change people's minds by being less patronizing not more.
- confidantlake 6y ago
  Modern conservatives loves to spend taxpayer money right up until they are out of office. Not a peep about the budget deficits the past 4 years, but now suddenly it matters again.
refurb 6y ago
Wrong. As they get older the Overton window shifts beneath them.