Can People Change?

Yes. Believing that you can’t change yourself is akin to settling, to giving up. If there’s something about yourself that you don’t like you should always try to work on it, to be a better person. I really, truly believe that we can all change ourselves for the better and I do believe that we can turn around our thinking at its core when necessary. Oftentimes it is.

It’ll be a cold day in hell before I look in the mirror and think “Good enough.”

I believe people can change for the better and for the worse. It depends on a myriad of factors, including but not limited to, the people you surround yourself with, the reasons for the change, etc.

For example, depending on the reason for change—say you were doing it to impress someone, then that change will only be temporary. Changes to a person take time; it’s not an overnight thing.

Besides, one must be able to adapt to the changes that surround them; adaptation is a change. To refuse to do so is to settle. To settle is to give up.

ok, let’s say someone has changed themselves… they made themselves quiet and opinionless to not be in the way and are now trying to ‘refind’ themselves… do you think they can? do you think they should?

what if they’re not sure that they should, or how to? what if they’ve kind of pushed everyone near them away, and don’t know how to get reconnected?

Yes, I believe people can change if they have awareness about themselves and the desire to change.

I see people change all the time. Usually not on purpose.

I’m certain people can and do change for the better, or I would abandon the path to my chosen profession.

Yes they can and they do all the time. Me too.

People change every single day.

It’s a gradual process. It won’t happen overnight, but if you are willing and committed to change than you can and will, eventually, so don’t give up.

Changing things about ourselves can be the hardest thing to do because we are so use to our own behavior that many times we don’t see the problems, yet, everyone around us does. I sometimes ask close friends, such as my wife, what she thinks about certain areas of my life because she knows me best and she will be honest. The real question is, are you willing to take corrective criticism? If so, you can change.

People change, especially when they want to—then, they can experience lots of positive personal growth that will help them become who they want to become. But they have to learn first how they got the way they are.

If they want to change, they can change. If it’s a huge change, they will have to make a huge effort.

I am not sure if people change or people decide to change their behavior in certain situations.

That may sound like semantics but to me there is a big difference. I am the same person I always was with the same addictions, weaknesses and strengths, that has not changed. What has changed is how I deal with them.

So yes, I think changes occur, I’m just not sure where they occur.

I don’t think you can change who you are, how you see things, how you’re prone to ‘naturally’ react – but I believe you can make an effort to change behaviors and patterns once you’re aware of them and you really want to change them.

There’s a lot of control. While our genome is basically fixed, our environment including our own thoughts determine which genes get switched on or off. It’s nature and nurture. The potential for changing nurture is huge. Carpe diem.

Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, but the light bulb has to really want to change.

People can change, but it’s something that needs to come from inside of them. Sometimes it’s gradual and sometimes it’s quite sudden. I figure that a lot of change comes from some kind event or tragedy.

What you can’t do, however, is change someone else.

Change is the only constant in life .

Yes, it is possible to change. It is very difficult to change oneself though.

Uh, yeah. People change all the time. Maybe not down to the very core of their beliefs, but definitely as far as interpreting the ways of the world and how they react in situations. We all grow as individuals.

Not according to the latest studies.