The Next Big Idea Daily
The Science and Promise of Personality Change
Mar 25, 2025
Olga Hazan, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of "Me But Better," dives into her groundbreaking journey of personality change. She challenges the belief that our traits are fixed, revealing how habits and social interactions can reshape who we are. Hazan shares insights on enhancing conversations through attentive listening and explores episodic future thinking to boost personal growth. Her experiment reveals that transformation is possible and offers strategies for deeper connections and meaningful change.
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Quick takeaways
- Changing personality is achievable through consistent habits and behavior adoption, as recent studies show significant trait alterations are possible even for introverts.
- Embracing discomfort is crucial for personal growth during personality change, with techniques like ACT helping individuals commit to valued transformations despite anxiety.
Deep dives
Personality Change is Achievable
Personality change is possible through the implementation of consistent habits and new behaviors. Contrary to the belief that personality is fixed by the age of 30, recent studies demonstrate that individuals can alter their traits by actively adopting desired behaviors. For instance, one research project provided students with specific challenges to enhance traits like extroversion, showing positive changes in students who engaged with these tasks over a 15-week period. This evidence suggests that by regularly behaving in ways representative of an outgoing person, introverts can successfully cultivate extroverted qualities.
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