190 points

Boomers say that because historically, with increasing age people usually also managed to have some things they might want to conserve, like a home and some financial assets to cover their retirement. I’m in my mid thirties and the only feasible way for me to ever own a home is inheriting one. My retirement plan is to die in the revolution. I have nothing to be conservative about

permalink
report
reply
60 points

I’m in my 30s and fortunate to have a house, but as I age I become more liberal.

I grew up with conservative parents and mostly conservative extended family as well. It wasn’t until I was older and in college that I started to become liberal. Before that I considered myself a Libertarian because I hated the two-party system and didn’t identify closely with any other parties.

I can’t imagine anyone that isn’t in the the top 1% that considers themselves conservative unless it’s based purely on hate or ignorance.

permalink
report
parent
reply
42 points

Generally, what it used to be is that people got more liberal as they got older, but society became more liberal faster.

Nowadays, millennials are getting older and mostly keeping up with liberal trends because we have so little invested in the status quo to slow us down from changing with the times. Amongst other factors.

permalink
report
parent
reply
22 points

Basically, “people are selfish and will do what benefits them”

permalink
report
parent
reply
27 points

Except when they vote against their own interest

permalink
report
parent
reply
17 points

“Will do what they believe benefits them”

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

There’s nothing selfish about wanting a home and a viable retirement plan. Everyone should have those things.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

The way I see it, being selfish isn’t inherently bad – there’s nothing wrong with looking out for number 1, provided it’s not at the expense of others. There’s a difference between being selfish and being greedy, of course. The latter is a pretty bad character trait, IMO.

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Which I’d say is a pretty right-wing sentiment

permalink
report
parent
reply
22 points

Finally bought my first home at 40 using all my life savings. Couldn’t afford to have kids. I got no one to leave any heritage to. Fuck everything.

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

There have also just been shifts in how us younger generations view the world, likely thanks to the internet. I’m in my 30s and own a house, but every year that goes by I seem to get more and more liberal. Partially thanks to how insane American conservatives are in many aspects, but also realizing that the views of the left are the only logical way forward.

permalink
report
parent
reply
15 points

Boomers say that because historically, with increasing age people usually also managed to have some things they might want to conserve, like a home and some financial assets to cover their retirement. I’m in my mid thirties and the only feasible way for me to ever own a home is inheriting one. My retirement plan is to die in the revolution. I have nothing to be conservative about

permalink
report
reply
5 points

Yeah, I have zero desire to conserve a system that is actively destroying my future. I’m fortunate that I work in an in-demand field, but even as a member of the professional class earning a professional salary, the cost of housing is insane, and the climate crisis is going to deeply impact the state of the world I live in for the rest of my life.

The main thing I’m out here trying to conserve is the environment before we go past the point of no return, which in all honesty we might have already passed.

permalink
report
parent
reply

We’ve passed the point of no return for many things, but not everything. We could still improve this world’s standards if we started taking climate change seriously, but unfortunately our system is designed to react as the last moment instead of being proactive about literally anything.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Im 100% here. By being massively successful I can afford a working class quality of life from yesteryear and mostly just try to enjoy as much local nature as I can while I still can.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

even if you do inherit one you will lose it quickly if you get some medical thing that keeps you from working while concurrently giving you large bills.

permalink
report
parent
reply
57 points
*

Everyone who’s a conservative right now, is either:

A: completely forgotton their live before turning 25-30

B: Is a massive asshole who actively wants others to suffer for their own gain

C: Is a completely brainwashed morons who legitimately can’t see the problems they’re causing.

permalink
report
reply
2 points

The majority of folks 30-60 can look at their current lives. I love the older ones who are conservative except when it comes to social security and medicare.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points
*

A and B can be combined, it’s pretty much two halves of the same mindset

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points
*

On point, but just a slight clarification on point B. They enjoy watching others suffer even when they don’t gain, and often even if they will be hurt too. Conservatives are all about pyrrhic victorories. There’s an expression I’ve always remembered: a conservative will shit their own pants if their enemies have to smell it.

They see the suffering of others as it’s own victory out of a combination of zero sum mindset, that the pie cannot grow and that others have to lose for anyone to win, and schadenfreude, a German term that really should but doesn’t have an English version as it’s one of the darkest traits of the human condition and American culture gets drunk on it more than most.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Idk, I was a conservative up until I was 19 and moved to Philadelphia. I still don’t really know if I’m liberal but I’m registered as a democrat. After Roe vs. Wade I found that I just don’t really care that much anymore about pretending I was a conservative because I care about having “more money in our economy.” Because let’s face it I don’t know jack shit about our economy

permalink
report
parent
reply
58 points

I would give this more upvotes, because I’m feeling exactly this.

“Just wait till you’re my age…” is the dumbest bs I will ever hear from older people. As if everyone will inevitably turn into an old, bitter, narrow minded, conservative person some day.

permalink
report
reply
6 points

Maybe it’ll happen the same time we all forget how to use any technology as complicated as a tv remote.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Maybe 🤔

permalink
report
parent
reply
30 points

In my case it has been the exact opposite tbh. The more I have to deal with reality there more I wander to the left. I’m kinda ashamed for my edgy centrist years as a teenager. Fuck that guy.

permalink
report
reply
13 points

Damn, I feel that in my soul. Edgy centrist 13 year-old me and edgy nihilist 15 year-old me would be aghast at the bleeding-heart liberal I became.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Satan. You were into politics at 13!

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

I was into politics at 11, but I was a libertarian then (mega-cringe).

permalink
report
parent
reply
12 points
*

I would rather be ashamed of my past self than to have grown so little as a person that I cannot experience such shame.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

Yeah overall I have become more liberal. I would still say im a bit left of center but of course by modern skewed standards that makes me way liberal. I have seen many of my peers though fall to nutter right levels.

permalink
report
parent
reply