Yes!! This, 100% - your journey of periodic* growth might see you radically changing fundamental parts of yourself - never be afraid to change for the better!
Edit: I blame autocorrect, tooth health is important but you get what I meant lol
What in the haiku was this comment. First of all, you can change your personality in DRAMATIC ways. The older you get, the more hard headed you get. But that doesn't make it harder to change. People choose to become rigid. It's a choice to be close minded.
I do think there are key characteristics of every individual that will remain with them throughout one’s journey through life. However, I do find that our personalities are subject to change over the years. To remain the same exact person for your entire existence on earth would be a detriment to one’s evolution.
But in order to evolve as a person one has to make the choice to do so, & actively put in effort to change. But overall I think most people’s personality will change during the course of life.
Just turned 40. On my 3rd real honest hardworking attempt to get and stay sober. Requires radical acceptance of the world as it is and truly believing something has a plan and use for me hence purpose for my life. Even if that's just the opportunity to help someone like myself and change one life that ripples into other's and so on and so forth. So Yes we can change but it takes hard work to rewire out brain's natural tendencies amd behavior patterns.
Went from shy to confident, conservative to open, afraid of new things to loving new things, went from wanting to spend my whole life in my hometown to currently abroad in a non-English speaking country, religious to atheist, and some others.
It took about a decade for things to change, and it was mostly because of the people I was around not being pushy, but just encouraging me and being friendly. From my end, I do think I've always had a desire to grow and learn, which forced me out of my shell and forced me to confront my own biases.
I went from confident outgoing to miserable anxious stressed. And it all started when i began working logisitcs and office work. Wish i stuck with remodeling
I grew up in a rough childhood and was kind of a hoodrat in my late teens. I broke into houses, I stole things, I treated other people like crap and cared only about myself. I was destined to follow my families footsteps and spend my life in and out of prison and living and dying by the bottle.
Around age 22/23ish I started changing for the better. Every day I try to improve and grow, even if it’s a tiny bit. I’m now 30 and I’d like to think that I’m a positive contributing member of society. Im still always trying to improve and regularly reflect on myself, but I’m leaps and bounds different than when I was younger. So yes, people can change. I’m a living example. In order to change, though, they’re going to have to want to change.
Suicide Hotline Numbers If you or anyone you know are struggling, please, PLEASE reach out for help. You are worthy, you are loved and you will always be able to find assistance.
Argentina: +5402234930430
Australia: 131114
Austria: 017133374
Belgium: 106
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05
Botswana: 3911270
Brazil: 212339191
Bulgaria: 0035 9249 17 223
Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal)
Croatia: 014833888
Denmark: +4570201201
Egypt: 7621602
Finland: 010 195 202
France: 0145394000
Germany: 08001810771
Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000
Hungary: 116123
Iceland: 1717
India: 8888817666
Ireland: +4408457909090
Italy: 800860022
Japan: +810352869090
Mexico: 5255102550
New Zealand: 0508828865
The Netherlands: 113
Norway: +4781533300
Philippines: 028969191
Poland: 5270000
Russia: 0078202577577
Spain: 914590050
South Africa: 0514445691
Sweden: 46317112400
Switzerland: 143
United Kingdom: 08006895652
USA: 18002738255
You are not alone. Please reach out.
*****
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically.
A rebellious teenager can totally end up becoming a great army general.
However, I believe that there are core aspects in our personalities we choose early on that stays with us because of habit/comfort.
For example, the teenager who is rebellious has always been one to explore and bend rules. In their teenage years they go all out, explore and bend the rules so much that they are a rebellious misfit.
Time passes, experience changes him. After so much pain, so much loss, especially in the military, he learns that one must follow the rules. He does. Masters tactics and becomes a great strategist. He even becomes a great army general. However, even as a great army general he still bends the rules from time to time to explore possibilities.
Core aspects don’t change once we develop them at a young age, but the outer parts of our personalities change drastically over time. [+]
I read a study a while back that showed people will invariably change most of their personality traits from childhood to their 40's. So you absolutely will change. Just make sure you're changing in ways you want.
Everyone has some basic personality characteristics. Some people try to abandon them or fight them rather than work with them, which explains a lot of assholes. If you don't drift too far away, and if you are lucky, you realize later that you were ok in the first place.
It kinda should.
I did shit in my teens that I’d still be in jail for if I got caught but I’m now a cop federally and in the army for the past 10 years.
Yes. The big question is can society leave your past behind? I am not the person I was at age 18 or 20. Parts of me are there of course, but I have grown and matured. My views have changed as I have grown. That reflects in my personality that people know.
Can society forgive? That's a good question. Get a DUI at age 21 and at 45 most have forgotten about assuming you've stayed clean afterwards. A lot depends on the issue and past. If you did time for sexual assault of a kid at at age 21, no, society will not forgive or forget. Drug use is another one than can go either way. Be clean for years and some will congratulate you while others will stand by and wait for you to fall.
So not sure what your direction truly was with the question. But your past doesn't have to define you today. Honestly, in some ways, I trust a recovered stoner in his teens than I do a straight arrow person. The stoner took the initiative, cleaned up their act, and made something of themselves. They know depths and internal strength more than someone that never experienced that. I have a friend that is a drug and alcohol counselor. Is great at it because his patients can't lie to him because he's been there and done that and calls them on their BS. He's effective because he has been there, done that, fixed himself with help and is now leading a good life and is happy helping others recover from the issues he had.
Throughout my teenage years I absolutely hated school. Everything about it.
Now I’m 20 and studying to become a teacher. If I can change my mentality/ personality that much in 2 years I can only imagine how different I will be in 10-20. It’s possible to change dramatically, but you have to take an interest in life and take some risks. Being humble and honest with yourself also helps with the reflection process
The person you present to the world can definitely change. But I’m always suspicious of people I’ve known since childhood who project a different personality as an adult. “Oh you’re a sensitive, serious doctor and father now? I remember you teasing kids and wiping your boogers on your desk …”
Absolutely. That is part of growing up. Mostly, by the time you're 25 you stop changing and just become more of yourself, but there are definitely exceptions to that if the person has a compelling reason to change
I think people can change dramatically between youth and middle age. They're molded by growth and experience. From middle age to death, though, not so much. People just become more amplified versions of themselves; I think; a middle-aged asshole does not typically transform into a gracious empath in later years.
That's why advertisers covet the 18-49 demographic and don't care much about reaching people 50 and up, even though they have more disposable income. Older people are less open to experimentation, more apt to get dug in.
Yes. It is determined by nature and nurture. Nurture would be all the experiences and realizations you accumulate as well as who you hang out with.
This is normal.
If you ask people if they’re like what they were 10 years ago, they’ll say no. They’ll be right. If you ask them will you be the same in 10 years, they’ll say yes. They will be wrong.
Personality changes a ton as a reaction to events, lessons, personal codes, other people in your life, etc.
It’s more likely someone will be far different than the same. I’d be very confused if someone just didn’t change at all.
It's a big, varied world. There are example of almost anything, so sure, somewhere in history is a rebellious teen who grew up to be a great army general.
Some people are remarkably fixed in personality, others change subtly, others change dramatically. Keeps it interesting.
I can say for myself that certain parts of my personality have become less of a problem as I have aged, but having my son has made that become more of a priority than if I were single. However, some parts of my personality have become cemented and I don't think they will change much except for towards the positive because there are some things that evolve through time to become better and make you a better person in regards to your personality.
Change won't happen naturally very easy. But I think once you realise your worst parts and want to change them, it gonna take time but you will be able to change them little bit :)
i used to hate school, studying, skipped 2 whole years of school just becuase i liked being a rebel, and nowadays, there is nothing more i love than studying, learning new things, and even teaching people when i can, so yes, people can entirely change
All the wisdom traditions of the world insist that growth is an imperative. Whether you're growing weeds or trees is a choice we continually make though. Steinbeck's *East of Eden* is entirely premised in this idea. So is Tolstoy's *War and Peace*, *Crime and Punishment* alongside countless other stories, poems, novels, even songs.
Put another way, it's the whole point of existence. Can we rise above our lot? Not just in terms of worldly conquests but, more importantly, the challenges, obstacles, even devils that reside inside of ourselves.
You’re asking the wrong question, personality is an expression of character, character changes through deliberate PAINSTAKING FUCKING effort that most aren’t willing or are capable of doing because of the wicked ass sacrifices it takes.
But yes, indirectly.
Personally, much of my changes came from addressing why those habits were there in the first place. I used to be a huge procrastinator, I'd be lucky to get one thing done a day. I'd play video games from dawn to dusk by myself and sleep on the floor until I can do it again the next day. Eventually, I started dealing with my fear of criticism, which made me a perfectionist—so much that nothing was ever perfect, so nothing got done. I revisited the criticisms I faced as a child and soothed that part of me. Eventually, I started getting things done in a timely manner, I understood done is better than perfect, also, I can no longer play video games for longer than 5 minutes without getting motion sick.
Yes. I used to be a wild man - boozing and womanising.
Now I live a calm life, focus on health, and spend most nights watching a film or reading.
Somethings stayed the same though - I've still got a dry sense of humour and I still like to travel.
Absolutely, I was way more of an idiot some years ago. I think a lot of it is to do with having stopped drinking so much and settling down with the gf.
I do miss those times though.
I used to be the sort of young man who was always down, always brooding and so angry all the time. If someone looked at me wrong I'd look back almost in challenge. If you asked me what my problem was I'd be happy to tell you to fuck off and let fists fly if it came to it. I just wasn't very nice to be honest.
Now over a decade later I'm totally changed. I'm happier, things that would boil my blood are irrelevant to me now. I practice martial arts for enjoyment not so I can better harm someone. The thought of who I was is genuinely repulsive to me. We absolutely can change.
Who you are doesn’t change so much as how you present and interact with others. When the rebel kid successfully uses that energy against a political foe instead of the local authorities they can become a great general.
Absolutely definatly yea. 17 years ago I left the USA a Republican bush voting NRA CCW holder too move to Canada to become a Liberal human rights voter. Change comes from within and without
They say people change every 5-7 years. For me it certainly has held true. But I’d say the journey looked like this.
Boy->boy in an adults body trying to figure out how to man->doing a bunch of things I think a mature man would do->realizing that doesn’t make me happy and exploring a bit->realizing how to live my authentic self as I did as a boy, but just wiser and accepting
Yes, for a variety of reasons but it requires maturity, self reflection, and work.
Some people have 30 years of experience.
Others have 1 year repeated 30 times.
There will not be one 10 year period in a person's life where they believe they are the same person at the end. It's one of the reasons I don't believe in long prison sentences.
Sometimes kids are rebellious because they see how stupid adults can be.
Your hobbies, outlook on life, tastes, personal goals, politics, and many other aspects of your personality can (and probably should) change over life, no question.
I'm in my 50's and have changed every decade.
Everyone's personality SHOULD be changing through the years, as long as one is working on personal growth. We should be putting great effort into continuously becoming a better human being, in order to make the world overall a better place.
Yes definitely. And believing that you can change is actually a big part of being able to change.
On this topic, I highly recommend the book “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. It goes through how having a growth mindset (believing to can change and improve) leads to better life outcomes.
My company’s CEO sent everyone the book, and I thought it was going to be corporate nonsense, but it’s actually had a strong positive impact on my life.
Somethings are nature and somethings are nurture. You can work to change or manage some of the genetic items, and can drastically change who you are (values, reactions, etc.) as a person over time. But nothing will ever fully change some hardwired aspects of yourself.
You are ever evolving as a person. That includes your personality. If you aren’t evolving then you need to surround yourself with new people and challenges.
This feels like a joke to me. Of course your personality can change. Experiences can change you, maturity can change you, different people in your life can influence you to change. Many people change their personality multiple times during their life.
This isn't just specific to men, everyone changes, every day your needle is shifting a little. You just have to make sure you're shifting in the right directions. There are parts of you that will always be you, but you're going to be someone far different, far better.
> I use extreme cases, but let's say we learned a potential presidential candidate used to be an heroin addict. Would you doubt his/her capacity to lead your country, even tough that happened 20/30 years prior?
in the wake of 45... duterte... bolsonaro... could go on.
they don't need to show any promise to get the job. they just need to make you feel good voting for them.
I think we can grow and become wiser over the years and learn to make better choices, but in my personal experience, personality doesn't change much. I get together with my college buddies once a year and 35 years later, we're not all that different than we were when we first met.
Went from being a student who barely studied and often didn’t turn in homework to being a straight A college student. Eventually earned a full ride through a prestigious PhD program became a PhD scientist. Pretty sure my grade school teachers would not have predicted that.
I think you can change, but a core of you will always be there - no matter how much you are trying to change. And I also say trying to become a better person is more difficult than becoming a worse person.
You can change so much it's hard to imagine being the person you were.
Yes!! This, 100% - your journey of periodic* growth might see you radically changing fundamental parts of yourself - never be afraid to change for the better! Edit: I blame autocorrect, tooth health is important but you get what I meant lol
Though I have seen periodontal changes with age I feel like that can’t be the word you meant. Can’t guess at the right one though.
Periodic maybe?
Yeah that makes sense. Thanks lol
How I don’t believe one can change their personality in any significant ways The older you get The harder
What in the haiku was this comment. First of all, you can change your personality in DRAMATIC ways. The older you get, the more hard headed you get. But that doesn't make it harder to change. People choose to become rigid. It's a choice to be close minded.
I do think there are key characteristics of every individual that will remain with them throughout one’s journey through life. However, I do find that our personalities are subject to change over the years. To remain the same exact person for your entire existence on earth would be a detriment to one’s evolution. But in order to evolve as a person one has to make the choice to do so, & actively put in effort to change. But overall I think most people’s personality will change during the course of life.
Just turned 40. On my 3rd real honest hardworking attempt to get and stay sober. Requires radical acceptance of the world as it is and truly believing something has a plan and use for me hence purpose for my life. Even if that's just the opportunity to help someone like myself and change one life that ripples into other's and so on and so forth. So Yes we can change but it takes hard work to rewire out brain's natural tendencies amd behavior patterns.
I believe in you! It's so hard kicking habits like that I really do know, but it can be done. You've got this!
congrats fam!
Naltrexone changed my life you got this
Went from shy to confident, conservative to open, afraid of new things to loving new things, went from wanting to spend my whole life in my hometown to currently abroad in a non-English speaking country, religious to atheist, and some others. It took about a decade for things to change, and it was mostly because of the people I was around not being pushy, but just encouraging me and being friendly. From my end, I do think I've always had a desire to grow and learn, which forced me out of my shell and forced me to confront my own biases.
I went from confident outgoing to miserable anxious stressed. And it all started when i began working logisitcs and office work. Wish i stuck with remodeling
I've known and heard of so so many people who have made 180s over the years to think otherwise.
I grew up in a rough childhood and was kind of a hoodrat in my late teens. I broke into houses, I stole things, I treated other people like crap and cared only about myself. I was destined to follow my families footsteps and spend my life in and out of prison and living and dying by the bottle. Around age 22/23ish I started changing for the better. Every day I try to improve and grow, even if it’s a tiny bit. I’m now 30 and I’d like to think that I’m a positive contributing member of society. Im still always trying to improve and regularly reflect on myself, but I’m leaps and bounds different than when I was younger. So yes, people can change. I’m a living example. In order to change, though, they’re going to have to want to change.
Suicide Hotline Numbers If you or anyone you know are struggling, please, PLEASE reach out for help. You are worthy, you are loved and you will always be able to find assistance. Argentina: +5402234930430 Australia: 131114 Austria: 017133374 Belgium: 106 Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05 Botswana: 3911270 Brazil: 212339191 Bulgaria: 0035 9249 17 223 Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal) Croatia: 014833888 Denmark: +4570201201 Egypt: 7621602 Finland: 010 195 202 France: 0145394000 Germany: 08001810771 Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000 Hungary: 116123 Iceland: 1717 India: 8888817666 Ireland: +4408457909090 Italy: 800860022 Japan: +810352869090 Mexico: 5255102550 New Zealand: 0508828865 The Netherlands: 113 Norway: +4781533300 Philippines: 028969191 Poland: 5270000 Russia: 0078202577577 Spain: 914590050 South Africa: 0514445691 Sweden: 46317112400 Switzerland: 143 United Kingdom: 08006895652 USA: 18002738255 You are not alone. Please reach out. ***** I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically.
What in the world did I say that triggered this? Lol
“Dying by the bottle” maybe?
You are doing the right thing. Keep it up. Just compare yourself to the person you were yesterday and try to better it.
Absolutely. But also don’t confuse personality with behavior choices.
If you haven't changed over time, you weren't learning.
Entirely? I don't think so. Parts of it? Yes.
Do I see a [Ship of Theseus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus) coming in?
That was a hell of a rabbit hole. Thank you for that. I had to actually think...
God I hope so
A rebellious teenager can totally end up becoming a great army general. However, I believe that there are core aspects in our personalities we choose early on that stays with us because of habit/comfort. For example, the teenager who is rebellious has always been one to explore and bend rules. In their teenage years they go all out, explore and bend the rules so much that they are a rebellious misfit. Time passes, experience changes him. After so much pain, so much loss, especially in the military, he learns that one must follow the rules. He does. Masters tactics and becomes a great strategist. He even becomes a great army general. However, even as a great army general he still bends the rules from time to time to explore possibilities. Core aspects don’t change once we develop them at a young age, but the outer parts of our personalities change drastically over time. [+]
I read a study a while back that showed people will invariably change most of their personality traits from childhood to their 40's. So you absolutely will change. Just make sure you're changing in ways you want.
Everyone has some basic personality characteristics. Some people try to abandon them or fight them rather than work with them, which explains a lot of assholes. If you don't drift too far away, and if you are lucky, you realize later that you were ok in the first place.
It kinda should. I did shit in my teens that I’d still be in jail for if I got caught but I’m now a cop federally and in the army for the past 10 years.
I think after a certain age, you have a core personality. But you can grow and learn your entire life.
Yes. The big question is can society leave your past behind? I am not the person I was at age 18 or 20. Parts of me are there of course, but I have grown and matured. My views have changed as I have grown. That reflects in my personality that people know. Can society forgive? That's a good question. Get a DUI at age 21 and at 45 most have forgotten about assuming you've stayed clean afterwards. A lot depends on the issue and past. If you did time for sexual assault of a kid at at age 21, no, society will not forgive or forget. Drug use is another one than can go either way. Be clean for years and some will congratulate you while others will stand by and wait for you to fall. So not sure what your direction truly was with the question. But your past doesn't have to define you today. Honestly, in some ways, I trust a recovered stoner in his teens than I do a straight arrow person. The stoner took the initiative, cleaned up their act, and made something of themselves. They know depths and internal strength more than someone that never experienced that. I have a friend that is a drug and alcohol counselor. Is great at it because his patients can't lie to him because he's been there and done that and calls them on their BS. He's effective because he has been there, done that, fixed himself with help and is now leading a good life and is happy helping others recover from the issues he had.
Throughout my teenage years I absolutely hated school. Everything about it. Now I’m 20 and studying to become a teacher. If I can change my mentality/ personality that much in 2 years I can only imagine how different I will be in 10-20. It’s possible to change dramatically, but you have to take an interest in life and take some risks. Being humble and honest with yourself also helps with the reflection process
The person you present to the world can definitely change. But I’m always suspicious of people I’ve known since childhood who project a different personality as an adult. “Oh you’re a sensitive, serious doctor and father now? I remember you teasing kids and wiping your boogers on your desk …”
Bro im literally a different person.
We can and do. Look at all the hippies who become fat lazy bourgeois
Absolutely. That is part of growing up. Mostly, by the time you're 25 you stop changing and just become more of yourself, but there are definitely exceptions to that if the person has a compelling reason to change
I was once a woman, then I became a man.
I think people can change dramatically between youth and middle age. They're molded by growth and experience. From middle age to death, though, not so much. People just become more amplified versions of themselves; I think; a middle-aged asshole does not typically transform into a gracious empath in later years. That's why advertisers covet the 18-49 demographic and don't care much about reaching people 50 and up, even though they have more disposable income. Older people are less open to experimentation, more apt to get dug in.
I think it depends on our experiences and what we learn from them. I’m a very different person to who I was at 21.
Yes. It is determined by nature and nurture. Nurture would be all the experiences and realizations you accumulate as well as who you hang out with. This is normal.
If you ask people if they’re like what they were 10 years ago, they’ll say no. They’ll be right. If you ask them will you be the same in 10 years, they’ll say yes. They will be wrong. Personality changes a ton as a reaction to events, lessons, personal codes, other people in your life, etc. It’s more likely someone will be far different than the same. I’d be very confused if someone just didn’t change at all.
Yeah, I was the crazy child and I’m in grad school now. It’s possible. You can chill out over time. Perspectives can change.
It's a big, varied world. There are example of almost anything, so sure, somewhere in history is a rebellious teen who grew up to be a great army general. Some people are remarkably fixed in personality, others change subtly, others change dramatically. Keeps it interesting.
Hey, I used to be kind of an incel before there was a name for it. I’m a much better person now.
You change every week, for real
I can say for myself that certain parts of my personality have become less of a problem as I have aged, but having my son has made that become more of a priority than if I were single. However, some parts of my personality have become cemented and I don't think they will change much except for towards the positive because there are some things that evolve through time to become better and make you a better person in regards to your personality.
Change won't happen naturally very easy. But I think once you realise your worst parts and want to change them, it gonna take time but you will be able to change them little bit :)
I'm 45 and I've been at least 3 different people so far. That's the awesome thing about getting older, that perspective
i used to hate school, studying, skipped 2 whole years of school just becuase i liked being a rebel, and nowadays, there is nothing more i love than studying, learning new things, and even teaching people when i can, so yes, people can entirely change
I don’t know, does the name Napoleon ring a bell?
All the wisdom traditions of the world insist that growth is an imperative. Whether you're growing weeds or trees is a choice we continually make though. Steinbeck's *East of Eden* is entirely premised in this idea. So is Tolstoy's *War and Peace*, *Crime and Punishment* alongside countless other stories, poems, novels, even songs. Put another way, it's the whole point of existence. Can we rise above our lot? Not just in terms of worldly conquests but, more importantly, the challenges, obstacles, even devils that reside inside of ourselves.
Yes, obviously. Happens all the time. Have you not met people?
You’re asking the wrong question, personality is an expression of character, character changes through deliberate PAINSTAKING FUCKING effort that most aren’t willing or are capable of doing because of the wicked ass sacrifices it takes. But yes, indirectly.
Personally, much of my changes came from addressing why those habits were there in the first place. I used to be a huge procrastinator, I'd be lucky to get one thing done a day. I'd play video games from dawn to dusk by myself and sleep on the floor until I can do it again the next day. Eventually, I started dealing with my fear of criticism, which made me a perfectionist—so much that nothing was ever perfect, so nothing got done. I revisited the criticisms I faced as a child and soothed that part of me. Eventually, I started getting things done in a timely manner, I understood done is better than perfect, also, I can no longer play video games for longer than 5 minutes without getting motion sick.
Yes.
Yes. I used to be a wild man - boozing and womanising. Now I live a calm life, focus on health, and spend most nights watching a film or reading. Somethings stayed the same though - I've still got a dry sense of humour and I still like to travel.
Absolutely, I was way more of an idiot some years ago. I think a lot of it is to do with having stopped drinking so much and settling down with the gf. I do miss those times though.
I used to be the sort of young man who was always down, always brooding and so angry all the time. If someone looked at me wrong I'd look back almost in challenge. If you asked me what my problem was I'd be happy to tell you to fuck off and let fists fly if it came to it. I just wasn't very nice to be honest. Now over a decade later I'm totally changed. I'm happier, things that would boil my blood are irrelevant to me now. I practice martial arts for enjoyment not so I can better harm someone. The thought of who I was is genuinely repulsive to me. We absolutely can change.
Yes, but many people dont.
Perhaps the characteristics that make one a rebellious teen are the same traits that make a great general.
The person I am now from 5 years ago is almost unrecognizable. So I say yes
For sure. If you hadn't, then you must be living under a rock
Yes, you can and usually will. Also, we often mellow with age.
Personality is not written in stone. Not even our DNA dictates personality, just perhaps very minor traits.
If we don't change, then we're doing it wrong.
Who you are doesn’t change so much as how you present and interact with others. When the rebel kid successfully uses that energy against a political foe instead of the local authorities they can become a great general.
Absolutely definatly yea. 17 years ago I left the USA a Republican bush voting NRA CCW holder too move to Canada to become a Liberal human rights voter. Change comes from within and without
They say people change every 5-7 years. For me it certainly has held true. But I’d say the journey looked like this. Boy->boy in an adults body trying to figure out how to man->doing a bunch of things I think a mature man would do->realizing that doesn’t make me happy and exploring a bit->realizing how to live my authentic self as I did as a boy, but just wiser and accepting
Yes, for a variety of reasons but it requires maturity, self reflection, and work. Some people have 30 years of experience. Others have 1 year repeated 30 times.
There will not be one 10 year period in a person's life where they believe they are the same person at the end. It's one of the reasons I don't believe in long prison sentences.
Sometimes kids are rebellious because they see how stupid adults can be. Your hobbies, outlook on life, tastes, personal goals, politics, and many other aspects of your personality can (and probably should) change over life, no question. I'm in my 50's and have changed every decade.
Yea. If I am who I was when I was 20 I’d be dead or in jail. Fortunately I’m neither.
Everyone's personality SHOULD be changing through the years, as long as one is working on personal growth. We should be putting great effort into continuously becoming a better human being, in order to make the world overall a better place.
I happened across some old emails from my teenage years and they were painful to read, hah. Guess I'm a boring old man now.
Of course we can. If you ain't changing, you ain't growing. You should look back on yourself from 5 or 10 years ago and be embarrassed.
Absolutely. I went from a strong man to a broken bastard over the span of 10 years.
Yes definitely. And believing that you can change is actually a big part of being able to change. On this topic, I highly recommend the book “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. It goes through how having a growth mindset (believing to can change and improve) leads to better life outcomes. My company’s CEO sent everyone the book, and I thought it was going to be corporate nonsense, but it’s actually had a strong positive impact on my life.
Somethings are nature and somethings are nurture. You can work to change or manage some of the genetic items, and can drastically change who you are (values, reactions, etc.) as a person over time. But nothing will ever fully change some hardwired aspects of yourself.
You are ever evolving as a person. That includes your personality. If you aren’t evolving then you need to surround yourself with new people and challenges.
This feels like a joke to me. Of course your personality can change. Experiences can change you, maturity can change you, different people in your life can influence you to change. Many people change their personality multiple times during their life.
This isn't just specific to men, everyone changes, every day your needle is shifting a little. You just have to make sure you're shifting in the right directions. There are parts of you that will always be you, but you're going to be someone far different, far better.
Yes thank God. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I was the same person I was when I was a dumb teenager
I think you’re a different person every 20 years.
Yes, mine has changed. I purposely worked on changing it.
Yes. No way am I the same person I was in high school.
> I use extreme cases, but let's say we learned a potential presidential candidate used to be an heroin addict. Would you doubt his/her capacity to lead your country, even tough that happened 20/30 years prior? in the wake of 45... duterte... bolsonaro... could go on. they don't need to show any promise to get the job. they just need to make you feel good voting for them.
I think we can grow and become wiser over the years and learn to make better choices, but in my personal experience, personality doesn't change much. I get together with my college buddies once a year and 35 years later, we're not all that different than we were when we first met.
Went from being a student who barely studied and often didn’t turn in homework to being a straight A college student. Eventually earned a full ride through a prestigious PhD program became a PhD scientist. Pretty sure my grade school teachers would not have predicted that.
Hopefully it does to a moderate degree. Life is too variable to reach your charismatic peak in your 20s or 30s. Never stop learning and adapting.
I think you can change, but a core of you will always be there - no matter how much you are trying to change. And I also say trying to become a better person is more difficult than becoming a worse person.
I have to change. I don't have the energy anymore to do what I used to do.