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😆

I have always been left leaning. And the more I see of life and of the right wing point of view the lefter I lean! So no, it doesn't apply to me.

I wonder if money comes into it as well. The older you get the higher your wages and more wealth established, more likely to naturally want to start protecting that? Easier to be left wing when poor I guess 😂 (I don't know what I am anymore, used to describe myself as very left, I am GC, when I did 'vote for policies' I came out mostly Lib Dem so I guess I am middle, mid 30s).

This Is MN and also a thread about politics so I would ascertain that it’s skewed and not that reflective of society overall.

You just need to look at actual statistics from a reliable source to know that overall it’s a trend that people move further to the right overall.

Not for me. I still value having a safety net for the most vulnerable in society rather than protecting my own wealth.

I don't think this view of the world is "savvy" so much as resigned and jaded. The short version is that you think the world is inherently unfair and people inherently selfish so you've given up (unless you're going to tell me your grand plan to enact the "same goals" you had when you were younger, that today's young people wouldn't understand?).

For example you seem to be writing off behaviour change as unlikely - despite the fact that human behaviour has probably altered beyond recognition within your own lifetime, let alone beyond.

I've actually found that when I was young, I thought the forces and structures governing the world were way more complex than they actually are. Intimidatingly so. I love to see young people with the confidence and principles to call out "the grown-ups know best" bullshit for what it is.

Not any more. The average age at which people are turning right is rising. It’s 70 now.

I am sure I read some stat that the shift isn't happening as much now.

I dont know if I am more left or right leaning than when younger, but I am less idealistic.

I generally feel powerless and like I can't affect change. This is in part due to living in a very safe seat, but also as the result of seeing several governments now and they all seem to end up corrupt and self-serving.

I've become more left wing

Yup, me too. Grew up in a Telegraph reading, Thatcher loving, small c conservative household. Now at 61 I'm a proud member of the tofu* eating, Guardian reading Wokerati.

(*don't actually like tofu).

I believe you don't necessarily get more conservative but you definitely (should) gain more perspective because of life experience. Therefore (hopefully) you are simultaniously able to go back to the basics (and that probably means valuing the essential things that have always been there), and also see the complexity in life (so that easy slogans don't make sense anymore).
I do think, however, that many of the rebellious and angry with the system type of people (left and right) are really projecting their own parental issues. If you grow up and have even a basic sense of self-reflection, you may be able to explore the psychological side of things you took for granted and also see the serious faults in "blank slate" iddologies (again, left or right).
All that being said, with age (again, hopefully) comes wisdom, and it's never been wise to disregard completely the old ways. So maybe the answer is yes: with age you become more conservative (and this post could have been two lines long 🤣)...

I know, this is the narrative peddled by right wing media and the hard of thinking act as their mouthpieces.

Examples of the extreme left please?

Multimillionaire farmers being expected to pay inheritance tax?
The proposed return of the Elgin Marbles?
Chicken sandwiches?

The thing is, phrases like “the hard of thinking” when used to defend the Labour Party are more likely to discourage me from ever voting for them. What I dislike is being told what to think (by anyone). I don’t need to believe what you believe.

I remember (quite a few years ago) the Labour Party lost a general election that some people had thought they would win. The result was that a load of Labour Party supporters and campaigners were outraged and told the media how stupid the public had been for not voting for them. It didn’t do them any favours - it’s still one of the first things I think of when I think of the Labour Party (I am firmly middle aged).

“Hard of thinking” and other similar phrases are used right across the political spectrum.

I'm 48 and my partner's 56 - we definitely haven't become more conservative as we've got older! Neither did my parents as they aged.

Yes, I agree a black female leader can be right wing! But, my comment was more from the perspective of those who see Labour as the party for progressives, when it comes to diversity tick boxes the Tories are miles ahead.

I know many who dearly hope for an African Pope. I know one can be black and conservative.

I think there isn't a very settled understanding of what 'right wing' or left, even mean anymore, I'd agree with people having a funny idea as a result.

The real irony is a 'Conservative' party that conserves nothing. They're all free market liberals, though some might delude themselves that this is somehow compatible with social conservatism.

This is one of those myths that’s trotted out so often that people believe it because they “know” it’s true. It is not true unless you have children
https://news.tulane.edu/pr/having-children-makes-parents-more-conservative-study-finds

Kemi though, and I actually quite like her in some aspects - more than Boris anyway - feels like another woman the Tories are forcing forward to pick up the pieces. TM got the poisoned chalice first. We still think her work on the modern slavery laws was wonderful and is having an impact on County Lines - however she and the other women in the party are there to sanitise and soften the generally cruel far right leaning policies.

Kemi though, and I actually quite like her in some aspects

Why do you like her? What has she said and done that makes you like her? She comes across as toxic and actually not up to the job! Her performance at PMQs is becoming embarrassing.

What about all the well-off pensioners moaning about losing the Winter Fuel Allowance which they didn't need. Older people are very good at feeling entitled to and spending other people's money.

She has zero tolerance for gender flim-flam

That's rare enough a quality to make her quite appealing

Ah yes, she knows how to energise the intolerant!

Same here at @BluebirdBoogie

Sorry, don't know where the random at came from.

I've become more conservative as I get older.

I'm in my 40s and at best could be described as a centrist, however if you believe the news and social media I'm basically a communist party spokesperson. People saying the left is extreme are on a different fucking planet.

Labour are basically David Cameron's Tories now - the whole political landscape has shifted so far right that Tony Blair would be seen as an extreme left wing socialist these days.

The thing is pretty much all of the issues people see in their towns and cities now have been caused by ever-increasingly right wing conservative policies. How people can think that the answer to their problems is to move even further to the right is beyond me.

(although I know full well that it's because the richest people in the world realise they can make more money by shifting public views rightward using the influence of their massive media companies)