Can a Type A personality switch to being Type B?

I know a head injury can cause this. There’s one way right there.

Perhaps others know if this can be done willingly.

I do it all the time.

I think it is very, very difficult. It involves an awful lot of (mostly spiritual) work. You have to rip out your old priorities, that are laid down in ten feet of cement, in order to install the new ones. It can be done. But it takes a lot of work and commitment, and frankly, most Type As just don’t see the point.

Sure. People have all sorts of tendencies, but what they do as a willful act is still a matter of choice.

What is A and B type personality?

@mea05key Type A is the hard charging aggressive type, and B is the laid back, easygoing type. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s the quick and dirty answer.

You cannot change your personality by will. You can control behaviors that come along with the personality you have.

I think so. I always used to say I was a type ‘A’, but I have mellowed considerably in the last 7 years or so, since my early 40’s.

Priorities change, we mellow with age, and, yes…as @wundayatta mentoned, I did experience some deep spiritual transformations as well.

I stopped taking myself and everythng else so seriously.

Infact, I’d go so far as to say that mastering the fine art of detatchment has been nothing short of remarkable as I have always been a high energy, high productivity type.

Now…meh….I prefer enjoying my being and don’t feel nearly the drive to always be doing.

As long as we are not dead we can change. lol

Only when they come back next time (reincarnation)!! Not in any other way, I think.

Absolutely. Like @wundayatta and @Coloma said, it takes work – deep spiritual work, but there’s no doubt that it can be done.

It’s actually really common for Type A’s to temporarily become Type B’s. A Type A might stress out constantly, be really punctual, be really organized, have a full time job, 3 kids, and 5 charities they help out with for 3 months, and then they’ll snap and become B’s for a month to relax, and then go another 3 months as an A, then B again for a month, and just keep rinsing and repeating.

Well..I have inhabited the ‘B’ zone for about 5 years now..I think the shift is permanent. lol

Seems like an over-simplistic way to look at yourself and other people. Breaking down the variety of personalities and the behavior they tend to cause to two types? that just doesn’t seem healthy.

I did my PhD thesis on Type A and Type B personality. I my opinion, based on extensive reading someone with Type A personality can learn, often with professional help to recognize when they are thinking and responding (physiologically) and behaving in a Type A style and can learn to adjust their thoughts to so they can adjust their thoughts so that they are less maladaptive. This actually produces decreases in heart rate, blood pressure and feelings of hostility than are associated with greater risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke. They learn to respond effectively in a more Type B style. This does not make them less ambitious or successful because their better planning produces more effective behaviour.

They don’t ever become Type B’s but they behave like them, which is good enough.

@Dr_Lawrence

The doctor is in! :-)

I’m going in for a couple of long “personality tests” tomorrow at my psychologist’s office, maybe I’ll get pegged with something like this. Should be fun.

With enough V A L I U M.

It all depends on an individuals circumstances in life at a certain time period, I’ve seen both types of personality switches. As far as there being a personality A or B I do not believe in “personality” stereotypes. A healthy person should have a balance of both to at least some level.

Almost impossible. It’s a trait, not a behavior that can be easily changed.