Yes in 2 ways:
- Gradually through the years, so slowly they don’t even notice it
- If they internally decide they have to do it, for some motivation of their own
What will never ever happen is that people change if others demand it from them. If you hear someone saying “I promise I will change” - no they won’t.
I disagree with your last statement. Is promising to change not evidence of the motivation to change?
Some people lie about their intentions or don’t plan to change as quickly as expected, absolutely. But to assume everyone who has promised to change won’t feels unfair.
Look into Neuroplasticity.
I’m an old guy. I started my life as a right-wing Conservative Christian. I’m now. Both an atheist and an anarchist. So yes people change. My journey has been six decades long.
That’s a crazy journey. Would you say the values you held, when you were a christian, were bad? Or that your values changed?
I have espoused views in my life I’m not proud of, but I think the same can be said of anyone.
Part of my journey was a search for intellectual consistency. Their are people of faith who are able to do that, I am not one of them. When it comes to politics, there are two contemporary thinkers (Ken White and Radley Balko) who forced me to re-evaluate my beliefs.
I believe there are many Conservative thinkers who hold their positions in good faith. Sometimes they are even correct! I believe there are also many Liberal thinkers who hold their positions in good faith, sometimes they are right also.
So to answer your question, I don’t think my values were bad, some of my thinking about how to implement those values definitely was though.
As with most people we morph over time.
Some things, people cannot change, except by getting worse. Someone who is suffering from dementia, certain personality disorders, etc., may learn techniques to cope and even thrive, but there’s nothing that can restore lost brain function, or undo childhood developmental issues that fundamentally affect the brain.
I have no doubt it can be done. I’ve seen something along these lines for myself. Many people have begun their life with destructive ideas only to realize what was wrong and shake that off themselves, which one might say is natural as the seekers of insight we are. I’d be lying to say this didn’t describe me in a few ways, having thought in a more generalized, unthinking way in the past. Given enough time, it’s hard to imagine that not all of us would become Uncle Iroh.
We are given a glimpse of this in history; we see the likes of Hirohito going from warlike to a pacifist, General Butt Naked converting from a genocidal warlord to a preacher, Dr. Seuss once being Japanophobic before making amends, the great Confucius himself becoming who he was after being disillusioned with his position of power, and if you are of my religious group, God himself.
Depends.
It’s a good idea to change those periodically.
Theres a few types of changes that can happen to people.
1: Change hammered in by the vicissitudes of time.
This is stuff like getting used to your dead end job because it’s comfy.
2: Change foisted upon you by happenstance.
This is stuff like becoming a parent or suffering a life changing medical emergency.
3: Reactive change caused by inner turmoil.
This is the kind of change that happens during a midlife crises or by an sudden inspiration that must be acted upon immediately or it loses its potency.
4: Intentional change by measured reason.
This is the kind of change people typically think of when they say people can’t change. It’s the hard kind of change and is rarely done in one’s life and even when it is done it’s the kind of windmill you can waste your whole life tilting at without ever slaying a slaying a single giant.
Anyone can change the shape of their soul if they recognize its current shape and start making changes to it.
Changing for the better is the real task.
Can they change? Yes.
Do they change? Not often.
Yep, but they have to want it and work at it for positive results in many cases. Negative change can happen pretty easily through unwelcome events. That’s my overly simplistic answer.
Only if they want to.
And that is a HUGE if. Most people after their formal education decide to stop learning. And learning is the most important form of change.
I’m worried the baby thinks people can’t change
