Anonymous wrote:Nature/nurture

I used to think people were all pretty much born blank slates and became who they are because of their culture and education and experiences.

Having lived 50 years and raised children and known a lot of people, I think nature (inheritance from your parents) is a MUCH greater influence.

The science also backs this up. The biggest influence your parents have on you is the genes they pass on. To the degree you’re affected by nurture, it’s your peers, not your parents.

*mask

Covid restrictions. I believed we needed to mark and keep everyone safe until kids were still required to mask to school and do virtual learning while boomers (most risky population) were eating in restaurants unmasked and loving life.

No more trust of the government about medical issues. We are a medical family and covid absolutely did kill, but our government response in the state we used to live was abysmal.

Nature/nurture

I used to think people were all pretty much born blank slates and became who they are because of their culture and education and experiences.

Having lived 50 years and raised children and known a lot of people, I think nature (inheritance from your parents) is a MUCH greater influence.

1) Olives. Hated them all my life, then woke up one day realizing they were delicious.

2) New build houses. I used to think they were soulless and dull. Now I realize how incredible it is for everything just work and for things that don’t work to be able to be replaced without drama. I’ll find excitement elsewhere in life.

3) The far left. I’m center left and I used to think that the far left had some misguided ideas but had their hearts in the right place. I no longer think that. Bernie Sanders was some kind of inflection point. The amount of insanity+bad faith I’ve seen coming from the far left is enough to make me feel politically homeless, although I’m sure I’ll still vote blue because the right is even worse. It’s pretty depressing.

Things I used to believe in/love/trust, and no longer do:

— The NYT (really any and all “elite” media - it’s sad)
— That going to college should be everyone’s goal
— Recycling. I swallowed that personal responsibility bit hook-line-sinker, without real understanding of corporate and government responsibility for environmental health
— Merit (hahaha)

Things I believe in now that I didn’t used to:

— Religion is interesting
— Birds and gardening are interesting
— Rich and connected kids from functional families can actually achieve almost anything, even if they are unoriginal or painfully average

I used to believe that stupid people were harmless, now I know how dangerous they can be.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TGr8bMTSD4s&t=6

Anonymous wrote:I believed in average college cost estimates, turned out if you are frugal and saved, you pay penalty.

what does this mean?

Anonymous wrote:Used to be anti minivan, but now have a Sienna and LOVE IT.

Death penalty - used to be for it, but now 100% against. Far too many people are wrongly convicted, the Curtis Flowers case cemented this for me.

+1. It wasn't one case for me but the evidence of racial bias in such cases. I also clerked at an appellate court and we did criminal appeals. It opened my eyes to the reality of the justice system. The difference between a life sentence and a death sentence shouldn't be a function of how much you can pay a lawyer.

Universal healthcare and mandatory, paid parental leave.

I lived overseas for 10 years starting in my mid-30's. I realized that universal healthcare is actually a good thing and that paid parental leave is a humane minimum bar for advanced societies.

Used to be anti minivan, but now have a Sienna and LOVE IT.

Death penalty - used to be for it, but now 100% against. Far too many people are wrongly convicted, the Curtis Flowers case cemented this for me.

Abortion

But not like the other posters.

My mom is brainwashed by conservatives. I never understood it. And finally, my sister-in-law and I sat down with her to understand it.

It was wild.

She explained to me how babies were born after 38 weeks, fully formed and healthy. Then Doctors took a huge needle, stuck it in the babies head and killed it and threw it away in a trashcan.

This is why Republicans are against abortion because that’s what they think abortion is.

It’s wild, how propaganda controls the ignorant.

I used to believe a LOT more in the competence of Democrats/progressives to regulate for the common good. Now that I’ve seen how the sausage is made working in various DC jobs … nope! And seeing the complete untethering from evidence and the common good during covid wrt school closures really made me understand Dems have very little right to claim superiority in governance. Even though I mostly agree with their ideas.

Anonymous wrote:I believed in average college cost estimates, turned out if you are frugal and saved, you pay penalty.

True

Anonymous wrote:Peanut allergies. It’s fine, I’m sending my kid with a pb&j.

Help me understand this one. What is fine? Do you not think peanut allergies are real bc they don't affect your child?