A leopard...

[alisonb]

...never changes it's spots.

Meaning
1)One cannot change who they are.
2)The inherent traits in a person remain as they are even if they actively seek to change them.
3)It is a notion that the innate or inborn nature of things cannot be amended.
Source: theidioms.com

Have you ever come across a person that has indeed changed his/her spots, can we change who we are or will our 'traits' always 'pop' up in our life?

IMO...I'm going with the idiom.

 

[kenny thomas]

Anyone special in mind? Lol

 

[JMJ Farms]

Yes. You can change who you are. To an extent. Some things you cannot change because they are in your DNA. But you can change your attitude. You can change your actions. You can, over time, change your thoughts and desires. (Time will change some of those for you as well). It all boils down to one word. Willpower.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I've quit saying and doing a lot of things through the years. But I can't say that I've changed my way of thinking much in the past 60 years.

 

[D2Cat]

When willpower and imagination are in conflict, imagination always wins!

 

[Bigfoot]

IMHO, it is extremely rare for someone to change. I have been a student of people for a long time. Grit makes a very valid point.

 

[Son of Butch]

Absolutely change is possible.
There are documented cases of kind, loving individuals who developed brain tumors and became
evil, mean spirited, hate filled individuals. IF that doesn't qualify as change I don't know what does.

 

[bball]

...never changes it's spots.

Meaning
1)One cannot change who they are.
2)The inherent traits in a person remain as they are even if they actively seek to change them.
3)It is a notion that the innate or inborn nature of things cannot be amended.
Source: theidioms.com

Have you ever come across a person that has indeed changed his/her spots, can we change who we are or will our 'traits' always 'pop' up in our life?

IMO...I'm going with the idiom.

Interesting concept Alison. How do we define a person? By their inner thoughts? Their actions? From the past? Present? How they respond in a stressful situation? Does one action define a man or do we evaluate his body of work? His intentions behind the actions? So many questions to ponder.

It is certainly possible to modify ones actions and behaviors; but does the desire, motivation, intentions behind the action ever really depart?(the inner man) I have read in psych studies where it is very rare for someone to modify or change behaviors after mid 30's; possible, but rare.

 

[Bright Raven]

Some people change, some people stay the same.

My brother one year my senior is the same person today as he was when we were teenagers.

My brother who is 18 months my junior is radically different that when we were teenagers. He was always the joker, laughing, pulling pranks, energetic, etc. Not the same today. It goes deeper, his mindset has changed.

 

[greybeard]

Other than mind altering drugs...... I do think it's possible for someone to change how they present themselves..the visible person, but all they really do is change how others perceive them.
smoke and mirrors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRKfwmgrHY

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

Something interesting I experienced and have read about it also. A persons personality intensifies as we get closer to our death. My Mom was a difficult person. As her time came to an end, she didn't change, but became much more difficult. It was hard on my Dad because he thought he was doing something wrong.


"My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be."
Dr Wayne W. Dyer

 

[Son of Butch]

I listened to a lecture given by a Harvard professor about 'who we are' is set by age 4.
He claimed our developmental path to young adulthood could be predicted at that time and successful influence to willfully modify behavior after age 27 is so rare that it is pretty much nonexistent.

 

[TCRanch]

Had a close friend suffer a serious brain injury in a horse riding accident & was in a coma for 9 days. Spent a long time in rehab. She grew up in an Agnostic family, her parents were "hippies" and smoked pot, she was quite the party girl herself but extremely smart, beautiful, fun. After her recovery she is absolutely not the same person - in any way. She became extremely religious, conservative, somewhat reclusive and she even looks like a different person.

Obviously this metamorphosis is an extreme example but I do find it interesting that she chose to continue her life essentially the polar opposite of how she was raised. And yet she was still very close to her parents until they died.

 

[Bestoutwest]

One must want to change. I have changed a great deal over the years. I needed to be a better husband and father. It's not easy, it takes work, but it's worth it.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I listened to a lecture given by a Harvard professor about 'who we are' is set by age 4.
He claimed our developmental path to young adulthood could be predicted at that time and successful influence to willfully modify behavior after age 27 is so rare that it is pretty much nonexistent.

My dad always said when the baby is born you have a blank sheet of paper.
What you write on it in the first three years you will live with for the rest of your life.

 

[haase]

A leopard can't change his spots, but give him enough rope and he can hang himself.

 

[circlebllc]

I have personally seen a change when people profess their faith and decide to follow Jesus Christ.

I have changed after a career in EMS, not for the better.

Change occurs for many reasons. Family name will always follow people. Good or bad.

 

[alisonb]

How do we define a person? By their inner thoughts? Their actions? From the past? Present? How they respond in a stressful situation? Does one action define a man or do we evaluate his body of work? His intentions behind the actions? So many questions to ponder.

You are so right, many questions to ponder, it's complex but really interesting. Think if we were defined by our inner thoughts(if we were to voice them) many of us would be trouble

Some say, all we know at birth is that (instinctively) we need to feed. They must be wrong as a baby can feel emotions, love, rejection, hunger, fulfillment etc. There is also the matter of inherited genes to consider. CB I'm not sure it's quite as easy as a 'blank page'. What we inherit and what we learn along the way in life makes us who we are to a large extent.

If we consider human nature, we can be loving caring good human beings, there are many out there. Then there is the other side... greedy, lieing, selfabsorbed, manipulating humans ...behind it all...the Ego...the Self. IMO as long as the ego is at work a person will not be able to change.

One may be able to change their behavior to an extent but I do not feel one can change their traits and character.

 

[davemk1]

The United States military can and does change people's personality. 1st hand experience.

 

[JMJ Farms]

How do we define a person? By their inner thoughts? Their actions? From the past? Present? How they respond in a stressful situation? Does one action define a man or do we evaluate his body of work? His intentions behind the actions? So many questions to ponder.

You are so right, many questions to ponder, it's complex but really interesting. Think if we were defined by our inner thoughts(if we were to voice them) many of us would be trouble

Some say, all we know at birth is that (instinctively) we need to feed. They must be wrong as a baby can feel emotions, love, rejection, hunger, fulfillment etc. There is also the matter of inherited genes to consider. CB I'm not sure it's quite as easy as a 'blank page'. What we inherit and what we learn along the way in life makes us who we are to a large extent.

If we consider human nature, we can be loving caring good human beings, there are many out there. Then there is the other side... greedy, lieing, selfabsorbed, manipulating humans ...behind it all...the Ego...the Self. IMO as long as the ego is at work a person will not be able to change.

One may be able to change their behavior to an extent but I do not feel one can change their traits and character.

I've always thought that one's behavior was the definition of their character. Thoughts?