It feels like a lifetime ago, and in some senses, I can argue it was.

I was definitely not a Conservative. I could support the idea that I was closer in some senses, to Centrism, than to the radical left. On the other hand, there were certainly ways I was most definitely on the distant fringe of Liberalism.

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I supported true top-down Socialism. Of course, as many do when they’re young and naïve, I felt like I should be the one at the apex.

Looking back now, I conclude there’s not enough money, fame, or respect in the World to want such a position—and that’s ignoring that, as a Christian, I don’t think it’s something I ought to be seeking in any case.

The funny thing though, is that I see a few other people, who seem to share very similar viewpoints to the one I possessed (though maybe not seeking to lead the World), who’re slowly beginning to have the light of day dawn on them. I could name names, but the reality is, I don’t want to potentially derail trains by doing so.

It’s enough to say, their transformations are obvious to the trained eye—to the person having undergone such a transition in the course of time.

Interestingly, it’s not so obvious to the folks in question, that they’re leaving the “folly of youth,” and moving towards more responsible positions and perspectives.

Those around them notice, and point it up to them, and I think in the course of time, they themselves become aware what’s happening. By that point though, Conservatism has pulled them in.

I can’t speak for others, but I can tell you some of the reasons I was a Leftist to begin with.

Among other things, I felt guilty. I felt like a had privileges that others didn’t, and to be sure, I did. That said, they were not what I thought them to be. I didn’t for example, have white privilege, rather, I had the benefit of living in the household of two educated people who stayed together even when it wasn’t easy and worked to earn livings (not at high-dollar jobs mind you), so they could support their five children.

Fact is, some people took advantage of my shame. They told my I should regret my birth and other things that gave me benefit. Better yet, they offered, though in a covert manner, absolution to assuage my grieved conscience.

This was the beginning of my going down the wrong path.

I had long considered fact, to be a guiding light in my life, but as I grew into adulthood, I decided that it was harder to know truth than I had initially surmised.

Truth being told, I began to all but despise people who claimed to have resolute reality.

In one sense, I consider that to be one of the more important parts of my life. It made me take my father’s admonition more seriously. “Question everything.” That’s what he’d said. That was an important step in the right direction, but not because it led me to Leftism.

When you begin to question things, you realize you can be freed from the pure gobbledygook that’s spoon fed to those who’ll take the bait.

You begin to recognize that there are those who will abuse their believability; who will use the authoritative position you hand them, to lead you down the proverbial garden path.

I began to awaken to this truth at some point, but my transition wasn’t complete.

Over the years, I’d come to the conclusion that, where statistical fact could be fudged, it wasn’t always wrong. I came to understand that people were using emotion and anecdote to sell worldviews that could in no wise stand up if one looked at data.

This was the beginning of the end of my foray into Liberalism and other forms of Leftist ideology.

Now I could look at the data, compare it to what I saw on an ongoing basis, and come to my own conclusions.

When I did this, I all but magically found that people were telling me untruths on an ongoing basis.

I couldn’t tell you how many were or are doing that with purpose, potentially even maliciously, but I’m betting the number is larger that one might think.

Some literally survive off of people accepting the tales they spin as immutable reality.

This brings me to the individuals that made me travel this memory road. Those who’re now seeing that Leftism ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

I only get to see the transition of a few, and I’m only really able to see those, because it’s a pretty public thing. I can’t speak to how many others are undergoing a similar metamorphosis.

The point here though, is that there are people who’re slowly moving from perches on the Left, to more Right-leaning attitudes. The best part of this, is that it’s exposure to factual statistical information that seems to be pushing them in that direction.

But it’s not fact alone causing them to evolve into saner human beings. They look back at how they felt about things to realize some information was missing or misconstrued. Then, on reviewing the data, they come to see what.

Suddenly, things they experienced begin to come into focus in ways they never had before.

The two merging together—statistical data and life experience—seals the deal, just like it did for me.

They begin to realize things they’ve heard successful, principled people say are true. Things like, “You want success? You must work for it.” and “The biggest obstacle the average person has to overcome is him or her self.”

They come to conclusions like, “Homeless people are often without a place to live by choice.” and “Though it may be hard, you can overcome your addiction(s), but you have to want to get yourself over them.”

The few public examples of Left-leaning people moving to more Conservative vantage points, is heartening, but it’s often a slow, steady process. I believe they’re far from alone in that transition. I can’t say how many others are headed down that same traffic way—whether it’s a one lane road, or a six lane freeway—but I’m still pretty convinced it’s happening. To be fair, others are headed on a transformative path in the opposite direction, for those, I feel genuine sorrow.

Thanks for reading, and may your time be good.