Title: Can People Change? A Look at What's Realistic
Headings: People Can Change, But That Doesn't Mean They Will
People Can Change, But That Doesn't Mean They Will
First, a few things to keep in mind
You can’t force change
Change takes time and effort
Change doesn’t always follow a linear path
What can change
What about people who cheat or lie?
What (usually) can’t change
Core personality traits
Emotions
Mental health conditions
How change happens
Motivation
Visualization
Positive feedback and support
Effort (not ability)
Therapy
The bottom line

Content: Instead, they might work to become more social by seeking out and cultivating important relationships. People who do want to make changes in personality may find it most helpful to address beliefs and coping mechanisms associated with specific personality traits, not the traits themselves. Say you’re fairly untidy and have a tendency to procrastinate on projects and chores. When you notice these traits occasionally cause problems in your relationships, you make a greater effort to complete things on time and keep your living space more organized. You didn’t directly change your level of conscientiousness. Instead, you changed your response, perhaps by reminding yourself to stay on task when you feel distracted or telling yourself your partner doesn’t want to see dirty laundry overflowing from the hamper. Emotions
Emotions and emotional responses may not change easily, either. Even unpleasant or painful feelings can have a lot of significance, and it’s tough to “turn off” emotions. ( Even when you can, you shouldn’t — this can affect well-being .) By acknowledging and accepting them instead, you can teach yourself to react in more helpful ways.