Can People Change, or Is This Just a Myth?
Ask any person to describe themselves, and they’re likely to provide a long list of positive personality traits and qualities they want you to know about them. Many of us spend a lot of time and effort in our daily lives trying to be or become the person we want to be. People can and do change. But when it comes to our core values and beliefs, do we ever change? Or are those things that define us something that we grow out of or adapt to suit a different environment? In this article, the therapist from Sensera will explore whether people can change and, if so, how and why they do it.
How do we change?
There are two main ways in which we can change:
– Cognitive change. Cognition is the process through which we acquire knowledge and understanding about our world. As a result, cognitive change refers to developing new knowledge and understanding of a subject matter. With time, we collect further information and learn from our past experiences, which helps us to arrive at new insights and conclusions.
– Behavioral change. Behavioral change refers to how we modify our actions to produce a different outcome in the future. Behavioral change is often driven by a change in environments and contexts.
Why do we change?
Although we may not always realize it, we all change due to many different factors. Switching is a natural process, and we must find a way to avoid it. Essentially, change happens because of one of two reasons:
– To improve our current situation. When we recognize a gap between our present and desired position, we often try to find ways to close the gap and improve our situation. This is often referred to as drive-based change.
– To respond to new challenges and opportunities. We often find ourselves in situations that require us to acquire new knowledge, skills, and competencies. In these cases, we change to respond to new challenges and take advantage of opportunities. This form of change is referred to as state-based change.
When people don’t change
Sometimes people don’t change even when they want to. Some people may not be able to change because they need more skills and knowledge to do it. Others may stay in a situation they don’t want to be in and not change because they lack motivation. Other times, people may be unable to change because they’re too comfortable with their current situation and don’t want to take the steps necessary to move towards a different one. Still, others may be unable to change because of various barriers and obstacles that stand in their way.Luckily, there are some tried-and-true ways to become better at change, so if you want to improve, you can Download Sensera. The app helps people deal with various mental issues (anxiety, low self-esteem, and relationship problems).
