How to change your personality
Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.
Look at the title/topic: How to Change Your Personality. What do you predict the video will say?
Consider these statements and share if you think they are True or False. (Justify your guesses briefly.)
- Statement A: Our core personality is fixed and doesn’t change after a certain age.
- Statement B: Major life events can significantly change a person’s personality.
- Statement C: Most people become more open-minded as they get older.
- Statement D: You can deliberately work on changing parts of your personality.
For each statement, say whether you agree or disagree before watching the video. Why do you think so? What do you expect the speaker’s opinion will be?
Focus on Vocabulary. Match the words with the correct meaning.
Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.
Focus on Listening. Watch the video. Read the transcript below if necessary.
00:00:00 are you an introvert an extrovert or a bit of both when it comes to our personality how we commonly behave and feel can lead us to believe that our traits are fixed determined by our genes but the truth is our personality can change and we have the power to shape this process our traits can and do evolve over time meaning the personality we have today isn’t necessarily the one we’ll have our whole life personality encompasses how we think feel and behave is the glass half empty or full do you react with anger or understanding when
00:00:33 someone cuts you off in traffic do you procrastinate or plan ahead our personality can be summarized into five broad traits known as the big five neuroticism extraversion conscientiousness agreeableness and openness by consciously changing our thoughts and behaviors we can start to shift our personality traits that’s because our thoughts feelings and behaviors are linked for example if you want to become more patient you can practice mindfulness which could help reduce impulsive reactions or if you want to become more
00:01:07 outgoing you can challenge yourself to initiate social interactions shifting our personality does not fundamentally change who we are but simply shows that we can all learn to respond to Life’s unique challenges in new ways our personality naturally changes throughout our life too as we age negative emotions tend to decline and we become more conscientious and less neurotic research shown that we tend to become more altruistic and trusting too our willpower also increases and we develop a better sense
00:01:37 of humor of course some people may experience more dramatic changes over time While others stay much the same but it’s now clear that if you want to tweak aspects of your personality an intentional effort to change can speed up the process for
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Focus on Speaking.
Time to share your opinions! In breakout groups of 2-3, discuss the following questions. Try to use at least two words from the vocabulary list in Task 2 during your discussion (e.g., set in stone, comfort zone, open-minded, etc.).
- Do you agree with the speaker’s message about personality change? Why or why not?
- Personal experience: In what ways has your own personality evolved compared to when you were younger (for example, as a teenager or five years ago)? Give one or two examples.
- Looking forward: Is there any aspect of your personality you would like to change or develop further? What steps could you take (or have you taken) to make that change?
- General opinion: Do you think it’s generally good that personalities can change? What might be the advantages or disadvantages of a personality that isn’t “set in stone”?
These four personality types were initially identified by Hippocrates in ancient Greece. They were then redefined by two cardiologists who noticed dramatic differences in types of behaviors. This led them to categorize personalities as such:
- Type A: These people tend to be competitive, aggressive, hostile, and more likely to have heart issues.
- Type B: This type of person tends to be more relaxed and patient and is less likely to have heart issues.
- Type C: This type is more precise, logical, and detail-oriented.
- Type D: This personality type has a tendency to be pessimistic and anxious.
These personality types might be helpful for making sense of general behavior patterns, but people can exhibit traits of more than one personality type.
There has been no correlation found between Type A personalities and heart issues. However, a separate review showed a tendency toward cardiovascular disease in people who had more negative personality traits and identified closer to a type D personality type.
Psychologist Carl Jung described these personality types in the early 1900s. He suggested that the main difference between people is between the source and direction of their expression of energy. This led to his suggestion of two contrasting personality types, introverts vs extroverts.
It’s Jung’s initial theory that eventually led to the development of the MBTI personality types.
In general, it’s said that an introvert is energized by being alone and prefers smaller groups of people, while an extrovert is energized by being around people.
Additionally, introverts tend to:
- enjoy alone time
- prefer quiet environments
- be more reserved in social settings
- avoid conflict
- avoid the spotlight
- have an active inner thought process
- feel emotions deeply
In contrast, extroverts:
- enjoy social settings
- thrive around people
- don’t need much alone time
- aren’t afraid of risk
- are outgoing and adaptable
- prefer to talk out problems
Most people do not fit neatly into one category or another and likely have a mix of introverted and extroverted traits.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/list-of-personality-types#introvert-vs-extrovert
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