Is it impossible to change our personality?

I have been requested by a friend of mine to write on personality. Is personality determined by fate? We may possess some unattractive qualities which we want to change. Is it impossible to change our personality?

People’s personalities are diverse. Each blossom is beautiful in its own way, each person is also endowed with their own special qualities. Being introverted does not make someone incapable, just as being quick-tempered does not make a person useless. We should live in a way that is true to ourselves.

No one’s personality is flawless. Every one of us, without exception, has some negative points which render us less than perfect. However, it is difficult to see ourselves objectively. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor heaven in the distance. Perhaps we could ask someone who knows us well to name the admirable qualities and negative points that we possess. We may find that there won’t be many people who will be so honest with us.

One may look at personality in terms of a concentric circle. At the very core of this circle exists our most basic nature. Around that is the side of us that is shaped by habit and custom, and surrounding that is the part of our personality we have formed to cope with various situations and circumstances.

It’s not easy at all to change the core aspect of our personality. Yet, other aspect of our personality can sometimes change so much that people may comment that we seem like a completely different person. An old schoolmate of mine that I bumped into recently said the same about me being such a different person from what I used to be when I was in the high school. I hope the change is good.

In any event, we have to be true to ourselves. We have to follow our own path and do our best. We become our most attractive selves when we pursue a goal that allows us to fully develop and make use of our unique character.