In general would you say people become more closed minded to political ans social change as they get older?

Question

Because they want to keep traditions and morals they had growing up? Or would you say since as you get older you experience more things, that you become more open minded to moral, social and political change?

Sorry, I meant and social change

Answer 1

You become more liberal as you grow up and learn more about history and other cultures.

The reason some people say you get more conservative is because they are talking about generational differences.

Each generation has become more liberal than the generation before it. So today's kids are more liberal than today's senior citizens. But the kids themselves will probably remain about the same or even get more liberal with time.

Answer 2

Well, I'm 60 so I"m in an excellent place to give you and answer. We didn't have such great traditions and morals growing up, we had a quiet, closed society, no women, no blacks, no openness about sex. Which, by the way, didn't mean we didn't do it, we just pretended to be virgins a few times.
I've seen lots of people look back and see things with a much rosier view than it was back then, those are the people who become close minded. If you remember the things that happened you are quite happy to be here now and hope it expands even more. I'd like to see the true morality of caring for others and being nonjudgmental.
I like the direction the social compact is going in.
Politics...it swings back and forth, I don't like the publication of every ones sex life, I don't vote for saint, I vote for president or office seeker.
It wasn't all sweetness and virginity and no one ever taking bribes or doing drugs, it just wasn't talked about, it was shoved under the rug.

Answer 3

What a great post. Kind of puts it all into perspective doesn't it? Now when I have to pay 15% of my total gross, not just a small part of it to FICA, I will at least know who to thank. We are being taxed to death in this country, and every year, we get a little less for our money. It seems that what we pay has been adjusted for inflation, a lot, considerably more than any adjustment of what is paid out. Survivors and disability benefits have been cut substantially too. I guess they would have to be since we now pay for all the immigrants too. My aunt and grandmother who came to this country in their 30's had reduced benefits, because they didn't get here until their 30's. as a result, when they died in the 80's, they were recieving benefits of 145.00 and 155.00 per month, and had to survive on that and their savings. It was only fair, because they didn't contribute until their 30's. Where did this fairness go? A friend told me about this site that addresses each of these issues. I think it is worth reading.

Answer 4

I don't think so. As a matter of fact, as I got older I listened more, understood more, and thus learned more.

With a well educated spectrum, I could come to terms with my ideals and morals. This allows me to be clear about my choices with regard to changes in the social, moral, and/or political arenas.

I cannot say that this happens for everyone. My mother still just votes Democrat because she always has. She pays no attention to what is going on and who the people are that are running. She has gotten a little better because she's retired and on fixed income. So she has opened her mind fiscally.

Basically, it depends on the individual and their personal experiences how they handle any change. Some people freak out at the least hint of any kind of change.

Answer 5

No. You become more knowledgeable and tempered by realism with age. And if you take advantage of this you aquire a well thought out belief system. Very few young people have political and social views that they have came to through rational and intellectual analysis. The views of most young people are imprinted by their parents, environment, social culture, etc. Some (perhaps most) never get past this stage. Others pursue knowledge and re-examine their morals, principals, and political views and acquire a mature set "beliefs". It would be a very special young person that skipped the imprinting stage and went right to a mature belief system.

Answer 6

I think that when people get older, they are more accepting to change. Simply because they have a more mature view of the world as a whole. I know I'm guilty of this, but when I was younger I thought I knew everything, now I can recognize when I made a mistake and learn from it. I wouldn't call it conservative, but no one wants to make the same mistakes.

Answer 7

No,they become wiser and see the drifting away from a Con.Republic to a Socialist Democracy that has made us the no.1 debtor nation in the world.

Answer 8

Thats a very good question.

As I get older, I find myself torn both ways.
I look back and see the country and our political system as a living working thing. I mean, there were differences on both sides, but generally both believed in putting America first and protecting what we stood for. Safety, freedom, mom and apple pie...

Now, it's all about winning the election at all costs without regard to what it does to the country. My God! Illegal aliens are courted not for the work they can do here but rather for their vote one day. Our efforts in the middle east are sunk, just because "The other party" wants it.
We all suffer because of their egos.

Answer 9

The latter. You also begin to realize that change is inevitable as you get older. It's not as frightening as it once was. Maturity also brings a better ability to see the bigger picture and allows you to drop a focus on insignificant details.

It's easy to declare someone else's position as "undeserving" compared to your own when you're younger. Empathy grows with experience and maturity.

Answer 10

I've become less rigid as I've gotten older and can better see other's point of view - but I've also become a damn liberal moral relativist in the process.