I think we lose the idealism of youth; we sometimes accept the
   positions of our elders, or we find *new* parents - a guru, an
   ideology, whatever the case may be... and latch onto it as:
   ABSOLUTE TRUTH and use it as our new measuring stick. This
   happens in our teens and especially in our 20s I believe.

   Some people stick with it. Some put it aside and might chase
   after ideal after ideal (if one is an idealist)... and then...
   at least for me, I find that I have been piecing together
   something that's, well, "just for me"; some combination of
   absolutes and relative positions on various things.

   I'm 42 now. I'm convinced that we've learned almost everything
   we needed to know by the age of 4 years old. Everything beyond
   that, is roleplaying.

   [we first absorb society by mirroring, then as we become social
   beings - almost as if some kind of explosion takes place around
   the age of 7 like a "HI WORLD HERE I AM... omg they're attacking
   me... I can't let them know my weaknesses"

   and it's roleplay after roleplay.... acting out the models of
   our youth in various forms. Replacing our parents with new
   parents; an ideology replaces Mom or Dad... etc.

   and right and wrong... well... yeah, its' hard not to lose your
   certainty in some matters...but then we gain certainty in other
   things - often ones that are from experience.