By Kimberly（杨琦雯） from 2403

Good morning, everyone. Before we talk about personality, I want to start with a quick test. Ask yourself if you’ve ever said one of the following:

“I’ll start studying tomorrow.”

“I am NOT addicted to my phone—I just check it every 7 seconds.”

“This year, I will become a new person!”

We have scientifically proven that at least 90% of us are professional self-liars.

So the big question is: Can people actually change their personality? Or are we all stuck being the same sleepy, stressed, Wi-Fi-dependent version of ourselves forever?

To find out, I interviewed my teacher and some classmates — and their opinions were very different.

My teacher believes that a person’s personality doesn’t truly change. According to her, what we see as “change” is just our behavior adjusting to different situations. But underneath everything — who we really are is still hiding there somewhere, like a shadow. A shadow that may be good… or maybe the you who waits until the last minute to do your homework.

One of my classmates gave the opposite view — and a very relatable example. She said: Imagine you’re someone who is naturally trusting and very honest. One day, you tell your best friend a secret, believing she will guard it with her life. But a few days later, you hear other people discussing your secret like it’s the newest school gossip.

After something like that, you might stop trusting people for a long time. But maybe one day, you meet someone truly kind, and you learn to trust again. According to her, this shows that personality isn’t fixed — it bends, it breaks, and sometimes, it heals.

So which one is right? Is personality like a setting that cannot change?

Or is it more like software that keeps getting updated?

Psychologists say personality is not like instant noodles — you can’t change it quickly. But personality is also not hard like rock. It is like soft clay: when you are young, it is easy to change, and it slowly becomes harder as you grow up.

Our traits can shift because of:

new experiences,

challenges we face,

the people who influence us,

and all the mistakes we survive along the way.

As teenagers, our personalities are still growing. Right now, we are like early versions of our future selves: we make mistakes, we are still learning, and we have a lot of potential.

So, can people truly change their personality? Yes — but not instantly, and not without life pushing us, teaching us, or sometimes embarrassing us.

We are constantly shaped by what we go through. Even painful experiences can make us stronger, wiser, and more careful about who we trust.

So instead of asking, “Can I change my personality?” Maybe we should ask, “What kind of person do I want to become?”

Because becoming that person starts right now — with every decision, every challenge, and every new version of ourselves.

Thank you.