Actually, people do change political beliefs and I definitely think they are influenced more by environment than genes. If you want to influence someone’s thinking then don;t shout at them and tell them they are wrong. We have lost the ability to be impartial. It’s either my way of the highway, black or white, republican or democrat. In reality, most issues are shades of grey, but we’ve become egotistical, opinionated bigots and the media loves it.[/quote]
Yes, people can probably change over time, but Brian seems to think that the ideological divide is between those who want to hold onto the past vs. those who want to keep changing things. I think the divide is between those who want to do what’s best for themselves vs. what’s best for society at large. As a teacher and parent, it’s been fascinating to watch how inborn some of these traits are. Some children are naturally selfless, generous, and considerate; and others are naturally selfish, greedy and inconsiderate. I’ve been surprised to see how innate some of these traits are.
You are totally correct about most things being on a spectrum where the majority is grey, yet so many people only think in binary terms. It’s one of our greatest problems when trying to communicate and understand one another, IMHO.
