I've been thinking lately about how and why our political beliefs might change. From everything I've heard and seen, they're supposed to be remarkably stable over time, and yet I don't hold the same political beliefs I used to. At least, I wouldn't say that I do, if asked.

And that's kind of the question. Have my political beliefs really changed, in essence? Or have they only changed on the surface of things?

One of my friends, like me, has shifted away from our initial, shared conservative politics. She's become, and is becoming, more and more libertarian, while I am now, if I had to choose a label, a democratic socialist. To me, my friend has always had libertarian leanings. If she thought government regulation of anything was acceptable, it was something that had personally—and negatively—impacted her. Without getting specific: if something had hurt her, she thought it was acceptable to regulate it; otherwise, generally, she didn't think that governmental regulation was appropriate.

So have her politics changed at all, really? Or has she simply recognized that her true political home has always been libertarianism and begun consciously taking on more of that ideology? And if that's the case...( is it also the case with me? )