How does one counter the conservatism that seems to overtake people as they age?

[socialindependocrat]

55. As a 60 year old liberal

I have worked for a conservative company and retired.
I cut my hair for a period and whe we started to "value people" I let my hair grow long again and put it in a ponytail.
By then I was in my 40s and in marketing.
It was a struggle. People in power want to be agreed with.
If the idea wasn't 'invented here" -meaning by the boss - then, you were considered a threat.

I have been reading a mag called SOCO (South Coast of New England)
I get info on local events
What I just noticed is that there are a lot of business ads
I notice a lot of people in suits and ads for "classy" restaurants
These are the conservatives and they were the conservatives at work.

They want to dress up in suits and ties and are very concerned with style and not substance.
they are concerned with who knows who and what benefit they just attended and being seen as the "in crowd"
Who's got the Mercedes and who talks the loudest on the cell phone in line at the Starbucks

I am not saying that being a business owner is bad but there is an ego-feeding component with some people.

I had fun working in research and finding new ideas
I found that the liberals were into working smarter, not harder.
Let's make a better mouse trap so people have better lives.
The conservatives seemed to be into turning everything into money and status
We got rid of our dress code at work and I know it pissed off the Powers That Be
We got into "Team Directed Workforce" for a while, until they shook the reigns and got everyone back in line again.
Diversity, to them, was black/white and male/female and not diversity of thought.

I think there is a difference between supporting everyone to grow and develop to their greatest potential
and saying you value diversity but holding people back for not acting and dressing within the "norm".

I was just a bit too young to go off and join a commune and I've worked since I was 16 years old.
I am now retired and still have a liberal view - that is, live and let live and I voted for Pres. Obama twice.

Hopefuly this sheds some additional data to the argument.

I think liberals do what makes them feel good and they look to help others.
Conservatives seem to value everyone looking the same and "acting" responsible and "I got mine, too bad you didn't get yours"


Just an opinion - fire away....