seems false, or at least uncharitable. do you expect that such people would self-report along the lines of “i don’t take ideas seriously”? it seems more likely to me that they would report something like “i value family”, and mean it. you may find the idea simple, but it is certainly an idea, and they certainly take it seriously.
put another way, this social conservatism came from somewhere, and is itself an idea. the assumption—that arguments that worked to change your behavior would not change their behavior—can be explained in two ways. either they do not take ideas seriously, as you suggest, or either they value different things than you.
seems false, or at least uncharitable. do you expect that such people would self-report along the lines of “i don’t take ideas seriously”? it seems more likely to me that they would report something like “i value family”, and mean it. you may find the idea simple, but it is certainly an idea, and they certainly take it seriously.
put another way, this social conservatism came from somewhere, and is itself an idea. the assumption—that arguments that worked to change your behavior would not change their behavior—can be explained in two ways. either they do not take ideas seriously, as you suggest, or either they value different things than you.