Why am I becoming more and more conservative as I get older?

Question

I'm a mixed person. Grew up between Europe and asia and have both my parents cultures very present in me. I grew up in a very conservative and strict environment and didn't use to agree with my parents most of the time. I was never allowed to have sleep overs, could never go out after a certain time, not allowed to have boyfriends etc etc etc. Now don't get me wrong I'm not a saint and I did my mistakes as a teenager but now looking back I feel like my parents weren't that wrong and in fact I'm now grateful they raised me the way they did and I feel like there are more chances of me being a strict parent to my kids than I expected. My husband and I have similar values and agree with pretty much the same things too.

caring__1 · Accepted Answer

When we're young and don't really know who we are, we tend to be open to many alternatives. As we get older, have more experiences and discover what truly works best for us, we tend to limit many alternatives and become more set in our ways. That doesn't mean we need to become selfish and entitled, like many conservatives. It just means we're more likely to focus on protecting what we've developed or acquired over the years.

As you discovered, over-controlling kids just leads them to be rebellious. Experiences when we're young are very helpful for us to learn who we are. Ideal parents don't treat their kids like puppets, controlling every aspect of their life. They facilitate exploration and discovery in their kids, helping them to believe in their own ability to determine what is more functional and considerate and what won't take us where we want to go. By doing the thinking for your kids, you're telling them they're too stupid to think for themselves, leading them to eventually stop thinking and just becoming a follower. Help them believe in themselves rather than become blind believers. Parents often believe it is quicker and easier to just tell kids the answer or what to do, and it may be easier when they are very young, yet you're not helping them to stand on their own two feet to become functioning, productive, self-confident adults. It's important for parents to stop focusing only on what is immediate and start focusing on how their choices will impact their children long-term.

ProbablyClueless · Accepted Answer

That change happens to a lot of people. It seems to be a combination of gaining more life experience (being able to discern other people's intentions and behavior) and having the ability to actually own things. People who get older and never own property often stay quite liberal.

My grandmother was a land lady and she used to say something along the lines of "where no one owns anything, no one cares about anything" and the general point of that statement was to say that people who don't own property don't feel as much of a desire to invest in the quality of life of people around them. They don't have to; it's not their problem. I don't care about my neighbor's quality of life in an apartment complex because if things suck so bad, either they or I can leave when the lease is up. But, if I own my flat; it's a huge PITA for me to leave because I'd have to sell my flat.

It's cheaper for me to take care of my flat and make sure that my neighbors do the same, when the cost of leaving is so high. As a result, I'm not going to put up with people's antics as much because I don't want anyone jeopardizing my personal property. Hence; conservatism.

Nikki1989 · Accepted Answer

Brainwashed by the media. Most media is right-wing.

Apple1996 · Accepted Answer

Weird cuz the opposite is happening to me

DextroShade · Answer

I used to consider myself fairly liberal: I voted for Obama and Bernie, I think healthcare should be a right, the government should 100% subsidize home solar panels, and the minimum wage should be $20/hour indexed to inflation. Then sometime around 2020 they started changing what "liberal" meant: instead of government programs solving problems and establishing a social safety net for all citizens they have gone off the deep end with racist woke insanity based around this "equity" concept that is indistinguishable from blatant antiwhite racism.

Instead of single payer healthcare or raising the minimum wage they opened up the border to give all these free entitlements to non-citizens while they defunded the police, refuse to prosecute criminals but will throw the book at law-abiding citizens who defend themselves from said criminals.

They are also handing out gay porn and instructions on how to suck dick and use Grindr to children and encouraging them to permanently mutilate themselves with puberty blockers, hormones, and gruesome sex-change surgeries. Anyone who opposes this deranged, disgusting madness is smeared as a bigot, and if they are a parent many of these woketards believe the state should take their kids away to trans them and they have passed laws in some blue states that allow for it.

Berethor · Answer

It common, while not leftist I used to believe feminist BS in the past, while nowadays I don't.

Fireguy17 · Answer

I think that is pretty normal.
When you are younger your goals and ideals are more like I'm going to change the world.
As we get older our viewpoints can change, you get married, kids, a house and you tend to look for more stability in your life.

exitseven · Answer

As you get older you get more responsibilities and learn certain facts about like and the world around you. Things like paying bills, providing for a family and living comfortably become more important and things like the economy , law and order and family values suddenly become very important and things like global warming and equity all of a sudden seem like scams because you have seen how the world really works.

Drewtate · Answer

You are growing up. You've realised for instance that all those woke initiatives have to be paid for ultimately by you a taxpayer

Anonymous · Answer

You're getting older In the words of Winston Churchill 'if you are a young conservative you have no heart but it you're an old liberal you have no brain'

inhua · Answer

liberal propaganda and brainwashing eventually wears off can't deny the uncomfortable truth anymore

DummyThiccFeraligatr · Answer

Getting married and having kids tends to make people more conservative.

You also tend to become less politically extreme and move closer to the center with age, often after realizing how much each faction disappoints or screws you over.

Andres77 · Answer

Sounds like success to me. You want the best for your kids. There are not enough parents like you nowadays.

Anonymous · Answer

It's normal. I'm not even that old but I've become a bit more conservative than I was a couple of years ago. You get disillusioned with the extreme liberal ideas at some point and you come somewhere in the middle. At least that's my experience.

BLP11520 · Answer

You have gained wisdom and understand what can happen

BigDog1989 · Answer

For some reason the elderly, think that that republicans are there to help them. They're not. They're there to actually hurt them

AngryCarl2 · Answer

The answer is in the question. You're getting more conservative because you're getting older.

Why am I becoming more and more conservative as I get older?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Why am I becoming more and more conservative as I get older?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

We're glad to see you liked this post.