Olga Khazan is a staff writer for The Atlantic. Her new book is called Me, But Better.
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The big takeaway
Journalist Olga Khazan set out to see if she could intentionally change her personality—not just tweak her habits, but shift core traits like introversion and neuroticism. Through scientific research and personal experiments, she found that meaningful personality change is possible with evidence-based strategies. And it doesn’t require a total overhaul—small, consistent steps can lead to lasting transformation.
Remaking yourself: Surprising science on personality change
You are not stuck with the personality you were born with: Genetics play a role, but there’s lots of room for intentional change through environment and small behavioral tweaks.
The “Big Five” personality traits—extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness—are all malleable to some degree.
Small, repeated actions (like joining a group or practicing mindfulness) are more important than massive life overhauls.
Even making yourself 10% less neurotic, more conscientious, or a bit more extroverted can yield a real lift in happiness, relationships, and career.
6 practical ways to shift your personality (without upending your life):
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