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: While your traits aren’t set in stone, some characteristics are more easily adaptable than others. With encouragement and effort, most people find it possible to change aspects of self, such as: habits and behaviors
attitude and outlook on life
physical or verbal responses
Research
Trusted Source
suggests people can work to address areas of their personality they feel dissatisfied with, though this change often happens indirectly —more on that below. What about people who cheat or lie? Many people wonder whether people who do hurtful things — lie, cheat, or manipulate, to name a few — can really change those behaviors. In theory, yes, anyone can stop doing something if they choose to do so. The problem typically lies in what prompts the behavior and their willingness to address that emotional trigger. Infidelity and lying happen for any number of reasons, and if those underlying causes go unaddressed, the behavior likely won’t change. The same goes for manipulation. Many people learn to manipulate to get their needs met, and this behavior can develop in childhood as a defense mechanism.