Behavioral Grooves Podcast Can You Change Your Personality? | Olga Khazan
Jun 9, 2025
Olga Khazan, a journalist and author known for her insightful writing on health and culture, dives into the transformative potential of personality change. She shares her journey to become more extroverted and emotionally stable through improv and mindfulness. The discussion highlights the tension between nature and nurture, revealing that personality traits can be shaped by our environments. Olga emphasizes the importance of social connections for personal growth and explores the role of music in uplifting our moods.
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Nature and Nurture Both Matter
- About half of personality is genetic and half comes from environment and experiences.
- Environment factors like relationships and job influence your personality just as much as genetics.
Personality Traits as Tools
- Personality traits serve as tools to help you achieve your life goals.
- Learning new traits is like acquiring new skills to navigate different life situations.
Unexpected Joy of Improv
- Olga found she enjoyed improv more than expected and took a second session voluntarily.
- Improv provided a fun, no-pressure social experience that helped her feel more outgoing.
