Personality - can you change?

The Oxford dictionary defines personality as “the various aspects of a person’s character that combine to make them different from other people.”

How did we develop our identifiable personality? One that could have a disorder?

The Greeks, Indians, and Chinese referred to personality and traits in their literature. Using terms like xuè and qì, blood and energy respectively, the Chinese explained the characteristics of human beings.

Philippe Pinel, a French physician, first described a personality disorder, termed “manie sans delire “(mania without delusion).

Slowly, character, characteristics and attributes made their way into everyday literature.

If you are wondering why this matters, these attributes dictate the way you live your life.

Are you disciplined, focused, moral, honest, hardworking, conscientious, caring, loving, and open? Do you desire to be?

Do you work to bridge the gap between what you are and what you wish to be? Or are you carefree and believe that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed?

Can you see how different your life can shape up, depending on what your character is?

Scientists and scholars attempted to organize these attributes and define what is normal and what is psychopathic. Psychopathy being defined as a lack of remorse, empathy, inhibition, and being egocentric.

Freud then built on these personality traits and linked it to your childhood. Your experiences with your family and society shaped your personality and therefore your characteristics.

But my intention is not to talk about the history of psychology.

It is to ask, can you change your personality if you desire?

The answer is a unequivocal yes. For too long, we have been told to believe that a person was born that way. His family had a long history of being this way. He showed these qualities as a child.

But if you want to change something about yourself, the brain is neuroplastic. It can change simply because you want it to.

So if there is an element you believe should be different, believe you can change and then set about changing it for yourself. Yes, you can!

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