Why are most college students liberal and then when they get into their 30's they turn more conservative?

Question

is this wising up from "real life" experience. I think so. I believe there is no better education then real world experience. So it may be "cool" to support illegal aliens becuase thats what everybody else is doing (Columbia University) but when you have to live in a society that they have a negative impact on...you will see the real picture. Ironically college libs..that claim to be progressive and idealistic are just going with the herd...the same herd that told them to smoke pot., drink beer..and get laid...lol..college was such a joke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnn7wTgoE8

Answer 1

Alcohol, cigarettes, football and wage slavery kill their brain cells.
In their youth, these cells could be replaced by other, unused cells. As you age, there aren't any new cells to step-up and assume those previous intellectual functions.

Addendum:
From reading some of the other answers, another thought occurred to me. It seems that when you get older, you forget the lesson of musical chairs we learned in elementary school. For every winner there are ten losers. Opportunity doesn't grow on trees. You are successful because someone else is not successful. We can't all be CEO's. People think they earned their position in life- well, yes and no. It's just like musical chairs. If you ever won that game, especially against a friend, you know that somoetimes you win musical chairs because the other person doesn't try very hard to sit down.

Answer 2

I think its when the world starts changing on them and people start to feel conservative. Conservativism is all about the status quo and tradition.

Some also are beaten down by the reality of life. They start to realize how important status derived by income is. No one likes to be low-status. They get caught up in the rat race and start to believe in it.

In other words, they become nostalgic for the glories of the past on one hand, and grow cynical to the idealism of youth on the other.

Its sad really.

Answer 3

When you first go to college, you really aren't that smart on how the world operates. When you grow up you realize that you have things to lose. I am a classic example of that. When I was liberal and in college, I had no idea what was going on. Then I grew up. It isn't even fair to say I was ever a liberal, I just thought that way. I have become more educated on reality and I have been able to form my own opinions of that reality.

Answer 4

When you are young you can be idealistic and want what seems best. When you age you find out that the best way to help people is let them help themselves. You also get tired of having other people's hands in your pockets taking what you worked hard for and then giving it to someone who is to lazy to get they own like you did.

Answer 5

Becuase when you are younger you are more influenced by others and what seems the "norm" is what you want to be. I feel that as you growup you learn more compassion and edge to the conservative side. They learn to care more about people then the endangered ant population.

Answer 6

When they're young they have impressionable minds and are easly indoctrinated by liberal teachers.
As they mature they begin to see the realities of the world and become more conservative in order to deal with it.

Answer 7

Idealism versus realism and truth.

Answer 8

Some people hate change - regardless if it's good or bad.

Answer 9

Because the beer wears off, you smarten up & start living in the "REAL WORLD."

Answer 10

Because they have more compassion as youngsters, then care only about themselves and become conservative.