Why Are The Young Liberal And The Old Conservative?

[Implode]

Of course it doesn't always hold true, but it's enough of a majority to be a commonly accepted principle. Why? Is it that the younger population has less nostalgia bias? Do the elders have more experience in knowing what works? What you think?

[rumborak]

I think it's a plain human function really. The older you are, the less able you are to form new opinions about things. Look at how easy it is for young people to learn a language, but old people never exceed a certain level when they try. So, old people want to stick with what they knew and got used to.
BTW, I'm talking here more about "liberal" and "conservative" in a very generic sense, not so much specific manifestations of them in politics. That is, for my comment here, there are conservative liberals in the sense that they will always vote liberal, just because that's what they've been doing for the last 20 years.

rumborak

[XJDenton]

Because it takes so long for the liberals to get anything changed by the time they do in their mid 40s, they want to keep it that way.

[kirksnosehair]

This is a fairly worn out stereotype.

[Riceball]

Call me cynical, but I think idealism comes into play significantly. The 'young' (of which I am a part of) are far more idealistic, while the 'old' are more cynical and resigned to...fate (for lack of a better word).

This, then, leads the young to have a greater tendency to want to challenge norms (generally speaking, conservatism), while the old have a greater tendency to just go with the flow and make things work for them.

Totally talking out of my arse, but that's the way I've always seen it.

[ResultsMayVary]

I'm 19 and Conservative, and I know A TON of people who share similar mindsets. I won't doubt that the majority of younger people are liberals, but come on, it's not as crazy as people think.

[Riceball]

Yeah I would consider myself more of a conservative (which, ironically, means I support the Liberal Party in Australia...funny how things are). I'm certainly not far from centre, though - probably because I can't be in my profession.

But I would say on average, young people hold generally more liberal beliefs and older people hold generally more conservative beliefs.

[ResultsMayVary]

But I would say on average, young people hold generally more liberal beliefs and older people hold generally more conservative beliefs.

I can agree on that in the general sense, but I hate when people run around declaring it as the most solidified fact known to man.

[Super Dude]

Yeah I would consider myself more of a conservative (which, ironically, means I support the Liberal Party in Australia...funny how things are). I'm certainly not far from centre, though - probably because I can't be in my profession.

The biggest irony of all being that even liberals in our country tend to be to the right of you and other non-US liberals.