Personality Can Change Over A Lifetime

[Still Waters]

Why do people act the way they do? Many of us intuitively gravitate toward explaining human behavior in terms of personality traits: characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that tend to be stable over time and consistent across situations.

This intuition has been a topic of fierce scientific debate since the 1960s, with some psychologists arguing that situations — not traits — are the most important causes of behavior. Some have even argued that personality traits are figments of our imagination that don't exist at all.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/30/484053435/personality-can-change-over-a-lifetime-and-usually-for-the-better

[Claire.]

I don't see how personality traits are a figment of the imagination, but do agree that it's a combination of those traits and situations that influence behavior. As for how and why personality traits change gradually over time, it could be something as simple as experience.

[Lilly]

I think personality can change only in some aspects. For example, if a person tends to be an introvert it's unlikely that they will ever become an extrovert. An introverted person could become more self assured and social with effort and experience, but it's very doubtful they'd ever become a full fledged extrovert regardless of effort and experience.

[+Hammerclaw]

Personally, I've seen too many wallflowers blossom, grow and change for the better to so blithely label and pigeonhole people that way. One should never accept other's definition of oneself and be hamstrung by the consequent limitations. One should be free in a positive environment to explore and discover one's true potential, not weighted down by the judgmentalism of others.