Inquiry Writing #2
We’ve all heard exaggerated people say things like “that’s just the way they are.” We tend to accept this without much thought. But this begs the question, why are people the way they are? When were their personalities determined? And finally, can they change?
The reality is, personalities are not permanent. According to an article by NPR, personalities stay relatively the same over our lifetimes, and gradually change across our lifespan. Interestingly, these gradual changes are often for the better. Adult studies have shown that over time, people tend to become more agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally resilient. That being said, these results are over time. Extreme and dramatic changes in personality are rare.
The Myers-Briggs Company, one of the most well-known personality tests, agrees. Personality changes. But an article by them makes an interesting claim: while personalities change, personality types don’t. This is in part because personality types have more concrete definitions and are better defined. They give an example which states that people often change out of necessity. This is undeniable, but people also change out of a personal desire to be better. An article by Forbes states: “People change out of necessity and experience, but they can also change out of a desire to grow beyond who they have always been.” We have a natural human desire to continually improve ourselves. This desire to be better can translate into real and outwardly visible change. While outside personality change is visible, the personality type within stays the same.
In short, personalities are never permanent. They change based on our life experiences and circumstances. While our personalities change however, the root of them does not. We often change for the better as we age, and while we may not be able to see a difference between our “first” personality and our last one, the root of it stays the same.
on the uploaded document.
0 General Document comments
0 Sentence and Paragraph comments
0 Image and Video comments
General Document Comments 0
