Have you become more or less open-minded as you get older?

I started out VERY open-minded. Life is like 31-Flavors, why wouldn’t I want to try every flavor at least once (safely and wisely). Otherwise, how will I know if I like them or not!!!

Don’t take other people’s word for what you will like… life is an adventure—you can’t live it if you never (or barely) try what is has to offer!

As my Dad always said, ”try it, you might like it.”

MORE. But that’s because I’m only 25, so all of my “getting older” has involved seeing the world for myself a little bit, instead of only being fed opinions by my socially conservative parents.

less – but just a little

I think less, in a way. When I was younger, a lot of the prejudices I have now, had not yet developed. I was raised very liberally, so my parents didn’t really instill any prejudices in me, I had to come up with my own. I know in middle school, I wouldn’t have had the same reaction to a lot of things that I do now. I was very live and let live. As I’ve developed a sense of what is important to me, in many ways, I’ve become more close-minded about those issues.

More, a lot more.

As I have gotten older, I have discovered my parents (although meaning well) discriminated against anyone who was not just like them.

I think more, but then again I’m only 23 and statistically younger people always have a very liberal outlook. I’ve always thought a lot differently than my family. I wouldn’t say it comes down to one thing just being more open about different aspects of life. I find it also about geography too when I was in the south, kids even my age thought everything was bad just because their parents told them so. They wouldn’t even dare go and explore the world and be just a bit more open minded. I found it so strange. Maybe it was just a parents way of protection.

Copy and pastes what blondie411 said
Lurve for our similarities.

More. I was taught to mistrust everyone and everything. but I’m learning that that was all wrong.

lurve to you queenz, I’m just a northern girl that was unfortunately placed in the south for a few years too long. I’m an observer by nature. I call it like I see it…

I’d say the same, as I’ve ALWAYS been open minded. I try to put myself in others’ shoes. I’ve also always been a champion for the underdog. I’ve befriended some people who others didn’t like. And it’s turned out to the good. They’re good friends of mine now. Granted, it’s caused me some problems from OTHER friends. But I say don’t judge until you’re walked a mile in my shoes. I try to understand other peoples’ strange ways. Hey, we’re ALL strange in some way or another, right?

I thought that I was open minded when I was younger, but looking back, I really wasn’t. I only watched MSNBC for my news because that’s who I agreed with (politically). Now I keep my options open. I like to be informed by both sides, that way I can choose for myself what to believe.

I’ve always been pretty open-minded, but I may have become a twee bit more open-minded over the years. The expansion probable comes from knowing more about the world, and knowing about more to be open-minded about.

I’ll taste almost anything; be sympathetic to almost any radically new clothing or music style (although I don’t have to like it); and my politics are left of center, if that has anything to do with it. I’ve become a bit less lefty, as I learned more about economic theory, but I consider that to be open-mindedness, too. I guess I don’t see how you can call yourself a scientist if you are closed off to new data. That’s pretty silly, isn’t it?

More.

But I have gained the intelligence to investigate and gather insight to back the points I stick to.

Also, the balls to admit I’m wrong or change my ways no matter how deep I am in it.

More. I started out an open minded person accidentally born into a bigoted family. The farther I moved away from them, the more my mind expanded. I’m 41…not some young lefty either!

The older I get, the more I realize I need to learn. Life and aging, ( I’ll be forty on Sunday) ,is ever changing. Certain ideas I had about life have changed ad I have gotten older, so I guess that means I am constantly changing and growing and becoming more open minded on some things and more rigid in the beliefs I have held dear for my entire life at the same time. Certain beliefs I have will never change. I guess those are the true character traits of what makes me Me!

I have become less open minded to getting older.

I am more open to different lifestyles and personal choices but I am also more open to expressing my opinion. I find a lot of young people want freedom of speech as long as it agrees with their viewpoint but if you tell them “been there, done that and this is what you don’t know” they don’t like it.

Whenever I find myself being judgmental or I begin basing my opinions on assumptions, I always make sure to take a step back and open up my
mind a bit. I’ve always been very open-minded, and I want to make sure that continues.
When you close your mind to new ideas, you stop learning. And what’s the point of living if
there is nothing left to learn?

As an older person, there are things I’ve thought about for a long time. I speak up sooner than I did when I didn’t know what I thought, or why.

I am 64 and I am a lot more open minded now than I ever was before. As I age I am discovering that there is a lot more gray in this world besides what is in my hair. When I was young the world was black and white and my opinions were based on that. Now I realize there is rarely a right or a wrong answer, most answers have a degree of both in them. Especially in this forum it is evident how so many think the way they see a situation is the only way to see, so they say this is wrong, don’t do it, this is right, always do it. I have come to realize that just ain’t necessarily so!

@rooeytoo That is very refreshing to hear!

I will be 40 on the 26th. I have encountered a lot of people who feel just because they have successfully reached a certain age that means their opinions carry more weight than those of the young. On some levels this is true. But it isn’t a free pass.

@Bri_L Yep you are right. I guess the real fact of the matter is, in my opinion, that some people will always be rigid and unable to think beyond their own box regardless of their age. I try not to fall into that category and it is why I enjoy Fluther, it certainly gives lots of diverse opinions.

I’ve always been extremely open-minded and always will be. I definitely became a little more open-minded about certain things as I aged and will continue to do so.

More open minded everyday, then again im only 20 soo im not really old enough to say i wont become a closed minded grumpy old person. Id like to think not though :)