how old where you when you realized that you where a conservative or liberal and what made you realize it.?

I typically was somewhat conservative through high school and college (without really putting the "conservative" name to it), then in college heard some more liberal points of view that I tended to agree with.

It wasn't until I was 22 or 23, when I bought my first gun (not knowing any of the politics of gun ownership), and started realizing that a lot of the NON-emotional, rational, fact-based research I began doing really showed that the vehement anti-gun position was based more on what "felt" like it should be true than the truth itself. As I started becoming more disgusted with that, I realized that most of the people that espoused that belief were progressives or liberals. That spawned a much broader interest in politics in general, when I realized there were people out there trying to control other peoples' lives and determining what was illegal based on faulty evidence. This grew into realizing there were a whole lot of people in government telling everyone how they should live their lives, from both sides, with oftentimes no real good factual straightforward reason.

I realized a couple years after that that Republicans and Democrats were both out of touch, just on different things. They are both really "big government" in different ways, and opposite sides of the same coin as far as problems in this nation are concerned.

So, to wrap up a very long response to a simple question, I realized I was much more libertarian (with a lower case "l") than anything else by the time I was in my mid-20s.

16 years old, I decided I was smart, talented and already have had 2 jobs. Figured I could take care of myself and mine from the sweat of my brow.

I'm now father of 4, and 13 Grandkids, NOT College Educated, never received a hand-out even when I was a Single Dad. Just bought my 93 year old Grandma a home to enjoy without paying rent.

All because of one thing: I put NEEDS before Wants.

Something we have lost as a society. People feel that a Smart Phone is a NEED! That a 50" Plasma is a need! Cigarettes and Alcohol and Drugs are Needs!

Therefore they buy Wants with what they earn, then expect other to provide for Food, Shelter, Medical Care.

It's sad that we are so selfish. We talk about Corporate Greed, I think we have Poverty Greed, as well.

Our Poverty Line is ABOVE hundreds of other countries Median Income Levels, yet we still cry out like Oliver Twist, "May I have More, Sir?"

Just my 2 cents. Not meant to be mean or un-caring. I believe in helping those that can't help themselves. I'd like to help the True Needy even more, but we can't due to the way our system is, and to our Society Values being all about "ME" and what I "deserve."

I grew up with liberal ideas because my parents were. When I was about 22 years old I became conservative when I heard Melton Freedman speak. He spoke for about an hour and I don't remember a lot of what he said, but the thing I do remember was he said Americans don't have the right to strike. He said they have the right to quit their jobs if they want to and they have the right to quit their jobs in unison. But if one man wants to keep working, the rest of the workers don't have the right to beat him over the head with a 2x4. That made sense to me.

I think about 23-24, I realized I was conservative, thanks largely to George Will. And, strangely enough, the first presidential candidates I voted for were Paul Simon in the presidential primary and Dukakis in the general election. Then I joined the GOP formally the year after that.

I was a Conservative back in high school, or as Conservative as one could be for a person that age, I suppose. Once the GOP kicked into full-throttle destruction mode, I started to drift away from the Right, and once I moved out into the real world, I understood that Liberal values were far more helpful and productive for society.

I suppose that when I was young and still going to church I realised that Jesus was an egalitarian and against exploitation of the vulnerable. I disagreed with the established conservative opinions and this stance has continued.

I have read books, biographies of enemies of the US like Che Gueverra and have seen what conservative regimes do to people like him. I have read books by people like John Pilger, who describes state sponsored exploitation. How could I not be socialist

Realized I was a conservative when I was real young back when i was in middle school. Now I'm a Reactionary.

I have always been a moderate with views on both sides. However, the fact that Bill Clinton balanced the budget and the other four presidents since 1980 were too weak or stupid makes me identify more with liberals now.

If you are in your 20's and you aren't a liberal,

you don't have a heart.

If you are in your 30's and you aren't a conservative,

you don't have a brain.

If you are over 40, and you aren't a cynic,

you didn't pay attention when you were in your 20's and 30's.

I'm a liberal independent. I first realized this in my mid 20s. Although I identify with some conservative principles, I can't get past the conservative criticism of education. Accusing universities of indoctrinating students into liberalism is beyond ignorant - it's irresponsible.