system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
I agree with the exposure to people, situations, and overall life as a reason beliefs and perspectives change.  For me, I was very conservative when I was 18.  I laughed and told racist and homophobic jokes and believed stereotypes.  I would never have considered myself as being racist or homophobic.   I believed hard work would get you the house, a car, and let you provide for your family.  I’m now a pretty far lefty and look back on my youthful beliefs as childish, harmful, ill-informed, concrete thinking, and extremely thankful not to be there anymore.  I have very little in common with conservatives anymore bc I see their beliefs as harmful, selfish, and more about keeping people down vs raising them up.
gpt
I was exactly this way as a teenager. Going to college and learning a thing or two about the world and other people's experiences absolutely changed me. The gop is right when they say going to college turns you liberal, but not because of brainwashing or any concerted effort to. It just taught me how to use critical thinking and exposed me to things outside the sheltered town I grew up in.