Interested in your thoughts on this....

Disraeli's epigram is clever, but not always to be taken literally. Many of us go through life moving from a rose-colored view to a view more informed by the unavoidable disillusionments we all experience in life.

It must be said, however, that some move in the opposite direction.  

When we're young, we're idealistic.  We believe we can change the world - and some of us do. But practically, when we're out in that world and trying to earn a living and take care of ourselves and our families, it becomes clear that some fiscal/economic conservatism is needed.  We realize that we may not be able to take care of the entire world and properly take care of ourselves at the same time. This post was edited by SpunkySenior at January 28, 2017 11:51 PM MST

Hello Harry:

It's a good thing the founders of this great nation didn't believe ANY of that malarkey. 

excon

Two definitions of liberal from the internet:..

1)  open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values..

2)  (of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience..


I am liberal with regard to the things I understand and conservative in the things that I do not as yet..

Age has seldom been a factor in my personal philosophy of life..


Disraeli was know for his aphorisms (a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.”)..

The definition, or standard of "liberal" and "conservative" change over time.  And without an expanded context the saying just seems like rubbish.

It's a clever quip that even Oscar Wilde would have been proud to own. But of course, Disraeli was so Conservative that even the Tea Party would have been happy to call him their own (always assuming that he wasn't English and Jewish). He could scarcely have said anything in praise of a more liberal outlook.

never heard of it, not sure what he means by it

I disagree. At 16, I think that few people have had enough life experience to do much more than parrot what their parents or other adult role models have ingrained in them.

Personally, I've become more liberal in many ways as I've aged and put distance between much of what I was indoctrinated with as a child. I realize that most of what other people do isn't my concern, so long as they aren't harming others. I'm still a good bit shy of 60, but I don't see my views changing drastically.

I've read variations of that theme many times. I think that whatever we consider liberal, rebellious, or edgy now, once it is adopted and becomes the norm, will turn into the new set of conservative values once new generations come up with their own new set of edgy ideas. This, I think is the natural way for societies and ideas to evolve. On the other hand we still will have the extreme elements that seem impervious to this mechanisms. Those would be the extreme right, who will see the devil peeking out from under every rock, and the extreme left, who dream of worlds where an idealized idea of anarchy is an acceptable way of government.

I think it very much depends on what time you are living in.  Taking into account that there's a good century and a half since it was pronounced, I think there's a degree of truth to it, as Louie noted, but I don't think it can be taken as 'a truth'.

Certainly it's not true in my case.  So far as I can tell I've become less conservative (UK, small 'c') with time.  I am much more understanding and willing to listen than I was, and much less likely to be fobbed off with a neat little quip from an authority figure.  Maybe Disraeli would think I have neither head nor heart but I doubt it.  :)