2004: Pentecostal, Young-Earth creationist, zealous Republican and avid listener of right-ring radio, although I ignored O'Reilly and Rush: they were too obnoxious for me.
2005: Disaffected Pentecostal, moderate Republican to moderate Democrat. What changed? Entering the workforce and realizing that we're not all one big happy family. People with money and power will abuse those without it.I wanted strong unions, high taxes for the wealthy, and universal healthcare.
2006: Humanist, social democrat. I renounced religion and discovered idealism.
2009: Humanist, social democrat with heavy emphasis on socialism; interested in both Stoic philosophy and Gandhi.
2010: Humanist of a more Unitarian Univeralist stripe with mixed political sentiments ranging from social democrat to anarcho-communist.
I'm healthier than I used to be: in 2004 I had no social life, suffered from anger and depression, and had no idea where my life was going. After 2006, I found purpose in my life and learned to be socially healthy. Depression is no longer an issue, nor is anger. I'm more active, spending less time in front of the television and computer and more time outside with friends, going for walks or playing basketball. Although a fall-out with a friend set me back in terms of sociability, I'm recovering from that. If I've suffered any, it's my optimism and idealism being a bit corroded by three years of sociology. It's a lot easier to enjoy the show if you don't see the crap behind the curtains.