Can a leopard change its spots?

[ckBejug]

Can people change? Do you think people can make themselves change? I've been thinking about that lately, about whether I really believe people can change themselves. Of course they can change themselves, right? I don’t think you can change other people, but you can change yourself if you want. For crying out loud, I change every day, clothes that is. I’ve stopped some difficult, unwanted habits. I’ve motivated myself to do things I don’t really want to do. You’re always figuring yourself out, right? For example, I HATED eggplant when I was a little kid, and now, I don’t mind them so much. Sometimes, I even like them and buy them on purpose. That’s change, right?

How about people who need to change certain things about themselves... How many chances can you give a person to change before you should give up on them and move on? I mean a friend, more than a friend, whatever. Someone who is in your life and you'd like to keep them there...

[sSsflamesSs]

Honestly, after a certain age (I want to say in the late teens), I don't think that people change. And I'm referring to changes in their personality, not changes in eating habits. At this point, the personality has solidified, and it would take a life-changing event for them to change (i.e. losing a loved one, landing in deep sh!t, such and such). How much ever you want them to change, they might be able to keep it up for a week or two, but through the course of time, they are bound to go back to their old ways.

[loseyourname]

I say it is best to only keep the people in your life whom you would not want to see change.

[spiral]

Originally posted by loseyourname I say it is best to only keep the people in your life whom you would not want to see change.

I say you play the game, and twist and turn everyone who comes your way,- for the amuzment, for control, and to test yourself.

so, yes I think people can change. We can change both ourselves and others.

[loseyourname]

As some hicks from Alabama once said, "this bird you cannot change."

Do frivolous things for amusement, and buy a spell-check program. I say leave a person's future up to that person. If you want control, invest in some mind-altering drugs. You can control your each and every mood - neatly and tidily. I say control is overrated. I say if you know what your future will be before it is, what's the point in living through it?

I'm sure people can change, given proper amounts of therapy and will-power, possibly even medication. I also think most people don't need to change anything other than their unwillingness to accept people the way they are. Seek out the people you like and leave the others to themselves. Live and let live, for Christ's sake. I'm going for the all-time cliche record here.

[dusken]

In a sense people are always changing because, I feel, they are a product of their experiences. As long as they gain experiences, their character will be amended.

With regards to quick alterations, I think somethings can change and somethings cannot. People change all the time but the greater the potential change, the greater must be the effecting stress or the desire. If someone does not want to change an aspect of their character they will not. However, people change aspects of their character when influential stresses are introduced. If their is enough of a motivation for people to change themselves, they will try and can succeed. And if there is a strong enough stimulus on a given individual, it will also cause change.

[sleuth]

take a test

http://www.outofservice.com/self-monitor-censor-test/

[anileve]

I am 53. Neither that nor this. I am an independent thinker and doer. Personally I think people can change, only if they are willing and only for themselves. Otherwise a "change" for someone else is only a temporary state, which one might resent later.

[Emil]

I scored 51.

[sSsflamesSs]

Emil, where is your signature from?