The older we get, the more conservative we become?

[EddyF]

Just wondering if people believe this. I’m in my thirties and although I have always had real socialist views and I have always voted Labour, I am struggling with some of my current viewpoints which lean more to the conservative way. I think I have lost a bit of societal empathy and seeing things as a ‘dog eat dog world; everyone out for themselves’.

There are so many issues I see locally (London) that I just think not everyone can be saved. The services are stretched; high streets are depressing and people have too many needs and often those needs are not isolated and are multiple. I feel less empathetic and more “can’t you just help yourself”. There doesn’t appear to be a safety net or one that is efficient enough, which to my surprise, has harden me a bit. Maybe it is age😆

'If You Are Not a Liberal When You Are Young, You Have No Heart, and If You Are Not a Conservative When Old, You Have No Brain'
Thought I'd throw this in as no one else has yet.I believe it is a quote from a Frenchman in the 19th century.

Are these comments about "the left" coming from the USA? American political thinking is such that "left" means a low-fat, vegan soup of every liberal value, while "right" means staunchly traditional values. Both are more capitalist than the average European and more religious than most. Britain ain't America, though I fear our politics may be becoming more like theirs.

Not for me. I still believe in community, collaboration and equality. I believe that society is only as strong as it's weakest member. Do I believe nobody should be responsible for their own life? Of course not. But that does not make me more right wing.
I also have experience growing up under communism. I think people have some really funny ideas about socialism/communism being about idle people being supported by the state. Do you know that it was illegal not to work under communism? You were put in prison and, in many cases, forced into slave labour if you refused to work.

I'm not becoming more conservative but liberal. I used to be a labour voter but now more liberal.

No I'm not in the US, although admittedly I haven't lived in the UK for 10 years either!

I think the point I was trying to make, is that my views haven't changed at all - but whereas 10-20 years ago I would have considered myself 'left leaning', this ideology seems to have changed and I no longer feel aligned.

That's just my view, and my experience. Maybe I'm way off the mark of what the OP was meaning though 🤷🏼‍♀️

Nope I have empathy, so instead of blaming the people at the top that have caused this issue, you are looking at poor people and saying they should help themselves. That's nice. Not.
Yes maybe some should if they can but at the age of 44I actually find myself going more to the left, because i can't walk around a systematic state that we are in, i do not get that people are going to vote reform. I think that's bloody disgusting. History tells us everything we need to know that people get marginalised and blamed inc Minorities, for what is the government's issue? And that whenever there is low economic problems in the world, people turn to the right, it's the same old, same old because people are idiots.
This selfishness has come on from thatcher's days and quite frankly, I also find it quite disturbing.How many people can walk in by Watch somebody hurt themselves, and don't do f* all

The older I get the more I say to myself:

• live and let live

• mind your own business

Words to live by!!

No. I am in my sixties now and still very left wing.

If you mean conservative (with a small 'c') then yes. And not completely, just more. Experience tempers idealism. Of course as Conservatism (with a big 'C') lurches ever further to the right, that gives a lot of leeway to become more conservative whilst still being on the left of politics as a whole.

Funny enough I have now . I believe i have been educated as a working class person who was kicked out if hone at 17 I hot involved with what we woukd call angry young men.
I remember the bradford bnp March a man i knew took me I was so niave I really was. I can see how radicalisation works but in the last few years I have got very political and realise that they are pitting us all against each other when the real issue is those with te wealth at the top

I actually see my parents move to be more socially liberal. Born into super conservative Ireland of the 1930’s, happy enough when we had a mixed race openly gay Taioseach.

Fiscally they are definitely more right of centre, and always have been.

The premise that all people become more right wing as they get older is nonsense.

I'm in my 70s now, and I'm as left wing as I was. What's different about my views is that I don't think everything can change straight away because a more left leaning government takes over.

I now appreciate that change takes time - a concept I couldn't probably countenance 50 years ago.
Which is ironic when you think about it. When I was young, I had the time to wait for change, but couldn't countenance it, now I'm old it's the other way way around.

But, I'm still left wing, if being left wing means thinking every person should be accorded dignity, that I'm as good as everyone, and everyone is as good as me. And society does exist, and I would like it to be kind and helpful, rather than looking for the fault in the individual that might have caused their downfall.

I'm all too aware that, at certain times in my life, I could have been homeless, with all of the horrors that can bring, were it not for having a supportive family around me. Not everyone has the blessing.

From an economic perspective I think I have become more left wing as I’ve aged. I had a relatively fortunate upbringing and have appreciated more as I’ve gotten older that so much is down to luck and good fortune. The ups and downs of life happen to everyone but some people have it really tough and I do believe we need a safety net there. I see the super rich as more of a problem as they are hoarding wealth. The constant need for “more”- where is that getting us?

I think I'm as left wing as I've always been. Labour are currently too right wing for me. I can't see me veering to the right any time soon ever.

Yes this is me ⬆️

I am a pragmatist they won't go further to the left we havd reform chomping at the bits and people don't realise this . I think sometimes some on the left want perfection. I just don't want reform or tories in power

Statistically, it’s true. There is a theory that the more you own (so feel the need to protect/worry about losing), the more likely you are to vote conservative - it’s why Thatcher was dead keen on flogging off council houses.

Intetestingly, the age at which that shift happens has been increasing, and jumped massively over the past few years, quite possibly because the age at which people have assets has also changed so much.

My politics have not changed (I’m pushing 70) but where I was once a moderate centrist, I’m now seen as a far left socialist, and my sister even told someone I was a communist recently.

My "studied peace studies and hung out at greenham common" mate found a career in social work made her more conservative.

Similarly here I think, teaching vulnerable children, and having my own children.

@Crunched
I think it's from Winston Churchill?

At the same time we've both firmly hung on to core left ideas. It's the liberal feminism and all that kind of stuff that we do not subscribe to.

I'm in my mid-50s but as I haven't found my basic human empathy deserting me I'm still left-leaning. That doesn't mean I agree with every statement made by every left-wing pundit but I nevertheless think we should eat the rich.

Always centre right, more conservative as I've got older, although I liked Tony Blair. I'm pretty libertarian but I loathe the current Labour government, they're so dishonest.

I have stayed to the left not more or less.
I still believe in the common good. Don't hold much love for capitalism and consumerism. I believe the state should be a net for those who would fall and offer support to the more vulnerable.
I am now not badly off and happy to pay taxes to support the NHS, schools and social care.
I'm the opposite of a small islander see myself more as somebody who cares about the whole planet and not just my bit of it. However I do care a lot about where I exactly live and I'm very active in improving the slightly shit neighbourhood I'm in.
I'm probably a bit more mardy and less friendly than I used to be they're not sure if that is a conservative trait!

Oh, and the last 14 years of the conservative government was very honest. In fact, I was getting to the point.
Of sick of listening to the radio whenever Boris and his mps defending his lies woukd come on.
Even sheila fogaty would eye roll?The point is, I don't think labour have been dishonest.Nowhere near as much as conservatives, you're having a laugh

I think it’s a bastardisation of a quote from John Adams (2nd President of the USA) that is frequently mis attributed to Churchill - among others - but he never actually said it. It appears in a lot of Misquotes lists.