Olga Khazan

I would say both are true. You are a little bit different 80 years later, even if you don't try to become different, but there's still a little piece of you that's gonna be quite similar, right? So if you were a very introverted, anxious child, you're probably gonna be a little bit introverted and anxious as an adult as well.

But the studies that have followed people across decades have found that most people change across at least one personality trait over the course of their lives. And in general, just something to look forward to, people tend to become less neurotic and more conscientious as they get older. And that's not through life hacks or doing anything in particular. That just kind of naturally happens.

But the studies that have followed people across decades have found that most people change across at least one personality trait over the course of their lives. And in general, just something to look forward to, people tend to become less neurotic and more conscientious as they get older. And that's not through life hacks or doing anything in particular. That just kind of naturally happens.

But the studies that have followed people across decades have found that most people change across at least one personality trait over the course of their lives. And in general, just something to look forward to, people tend to become less neurotic and more conscientious as they get older. And that's not through life hacks or doing anything in particular. That just kind of naturally happens.

Yeah, so about half of it is genetic. So it comes from your genes. Thank you, mom and dad. So you're not going to be exactly like your mom and dad, but your personality is going to be influenced by the genes that they pass on to you, just like they influence how tall you are, your eye color, things like that. So part of it, you're kind of, is just there.

Yeah, so about half of it is genetic. So it comes from your genes. Thank you, mom and dad. So you're not going to be exactly like your mom and dad, but your personality is going to be influenced by the genes that they pass on to you, just like they influence how tall you are, your eye color, things like that. So part of it, you're kind of, is just there.

Yeah, so about half of it is genetic. So it comes from your genes. Thank you, mom and dad. So you're not going to be exactly like your mom and dad, but your personality is going to be influenced by the genes that they pass on to you, just like they influence how tall you are, your eye color, things like that. So part of it, you're kind of, is just there.

But another part of it is kind of hard to define and they still don't know exactly what makes it up, but it's sort of just the environment. So it's who your friends are, what your life experiences are. Do you go to college? What kind of job do you have? Do you get married? Do you have kids?

But another part of it is kind of hard to define and they still don't know exactly what makes it up, but it's sort of just the environment. So it's who your friends are, what your life experiences are. Do you go to college? What kind of job do you have? Do you get married? Do you have kids?

But another part of it is kind of hard to define and they still don't know exactly what makes it up, but it's sort of just the environment. So it's who your friends are, what your life experiences are. Do you go to college? What kind of job do you have? Do you get married? Do you have kids?

All of those kind of environmental factors and experiences contribute to that other part of your personality that isn't really genetic. It's sort of up to you.

All of those kind of environmental factors and experiences contribute to that other part of your personality that isn't really genetic. It's sort of up to you.

All of those kind of environmental factors and experiences contribute to that other part of your personality that isn't really genetic. It's sort of up to you.

That's true, yeah. So like you could see variations on that cycle in like who goes to college, right? So it's usually people who are more open to experiences and then they're around a bunch of other people like them. And they're around a bunch of professors who are also open to experiences. And so they become even more open to experiences in the process.

That's true, yeah. So like you could see variations on that cycle in like who goes to college, right? So it's usually people who are more open to experiences and then they're around a bunch of other people like them. And they're around a bunch of professors who are also open to experiences. And so they become even more open to experiences in the process.

That's true, yeah. So like you could see variations on that cycle in like who goes to college, right? So it's usually people who are more open to experiences and then they're around a bunch of other people like them. And they're around a bunch of professors who are also open to experiences. And so they become even more open to experiences in the process.

So your personality leads you into certain situations and then those situations further affect your personality.

So your personality leads you into certain situations and then those situations further affect your personality.

So your personality leads you into certain situations and then those situations further affect your personality.

So I think that it depends on the scale of what you're trying to do. If you're just trying to become a little bit more conscientious or a little bit more extroverted, I think that it's definitely something that if you put your mind to it, it can pretty easily be done. Some of the traits like neuroticism and agreeableness are a little bit harder to change. So I think that one would be more