Does Personality Change Over Time?

Personality is a psychological construct that has attracted the attention of numerous researchers throughout the history of psychology. It has generated multiple theories about it and, even today, there is no unanimous consensus on its entity.

There are as many definitions of personality as authors have studied it. In essence, we could describe it as the set of psychic characteristics that make up our way of thinking and acting.

Personality, temperament and character

Personality traits are determined by the interaction between temperament and character. Temperament is the innate part of the personality and is conditioned by genetics. It manifests earlier and is relatively stable over time. On the other hand, the character is influenced by more environmental aspects and these can be more easily transformed.

Thus, we can understand the personality as a stable entity over time but susceptible to modifications, either due to the circumstances experienced or because we consciously seek to change some aspect of it.

How do we change over the years?

We all evolve in some way throughout life. For example, a study carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh looked at change in people from the age of fourteen to sixty-three. The results, as expected, showed that there had been a very significant transformation in their ways of being.

The personality is not fixed, but it is modulable and, although we have a stable trend, we can evolve and modify many aspects.

However, not all people change equally. The circumstances that each of us face are sometimes similar, but they can also be extremely different from those of the majority, and that will determine our personality in a very marked way.

On the other hand, there are people who tend to change more easily, either because of their way of being, because of the set of experiences they have lived or because they intend to transform some trait of their personality.

The five great dimensions of personality

Beyond great references such as Cattell or Eysenck, McCrae and Costa proposed the Big Five model, one of the most used to classify different personality traits. In it we find five characteristics that are situated on a continuum between two extremes:

• Extraversion : at one of the poles are the most optimistic, vital, uninhibited and sociable people, who like to be in contact with others. In the other are the most introverted, calm and reserved.
• Openness to experience : at one extreme are people with a great imagination, curious and original, and at the other, the more pragmatic, conventional and traditional.
• Responsibility:  this trait differentiates competent, organized and compliant people from informal and poorly disciplined people.

• Kindness – This attribute distinguishes honest, altruistic, and considerate people from unscrupulous, selfish, and hostile people.
• Neuroticism : on the negative pole are those who have a tendency to feel anxiety, depression and a low tolerance to stress. On the positive side, there are people who are more emotionally stable and who have a greater degree of calm and self-control.

If we analyze these features in ourselves, we can see that some elements have remained stable over time. However, it is easy that others have been modulating.

For example, it  is possible that we have become more responsible people than when we were young, or that thanks to maturity we are more emotionally stable. Or on the contrary, that, due to the circumstances, our level of neuroticism has increased considerably.

How can I change my personality?

We all have aspects of our personality that we would like to improve or even radically change. In this situation, there will be those who justify themselves with the eternal “people do not change”, and there will be those who want to get down to work but don’t know how. For people in the second group, it is essential that they bear in mind that:

• The most important thing is to want to change and, for this, to be willing to do deep psychological work.
• We must be realistic and propose achievable goals, otherwise it will generate great frustration.
• It is easier to change when the objectives are clear and concrete. A good way will be to locate where we are on the continuum and where we want to go.
• We must bear in mind that personality changes are progressive, so an extra dose of patience will not hurt.
• A good plan will involve designing a short, medium and long term strategy identifying what resources we must develop at each stage.

• If we have a why, it will be easier for us, especially when resistance to change arises.
• A good strategy will be to  visualize in detail how we want to be and act as if we have already achieved the change.
• If we are determined and persistent, we will more easily achieve our goal.
• Taking action  will be the best way to gain security and confidence.
• Substituting a pattern of behavior takes considerable effort. Although it does not turn out as we expected, it is important not to give up, since over time we can improve.

In case there are traits of our personality that harm us and we do not know how to modify them, consulting a psychologist will always be the most recommended option.