For many years scientists have been trying to establish whether it is our genes that make us what we are, or if we are mostly influenced by the environment, and therefore, our character traits change throughout our life.
I am convinced that our personality mostly depends on our genetic make-up. Firstly, according to numerous scientific research, babies as little as two month old react very differently to people or flashing objects they see, which proves that they are born with particular character traits, or temperament. Secondly, it is a common knowledge that many twins brought up in an identical environment grow up to become as different as chalk and cheese.
On the other hand, some people claim that no human being remains the same throughout their life. As one grows up and gains experience, people become wiser and more mature. There have been numerous examples of light-hearted, immature youngsters undergoing a complete transformation and turning into sensible and thoughtful adults after facing considerable hardship.
However, I firmly believe that whenever we talk about people changing their behavior, we mean that they have managed to fulfil their hidden potential and to reveal their abilities. It is hardly a secret that more often than not we do not know what we are capable of ourselves. “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself”, the famous saying goes. Therefore, it is only natural that as we live, we reveal new sides of our personality.
To summarise, even though people are not able to change personality traits, they can discover their abilities throughout their life.