Can people really change?
Published: 05 Feb. 2025, 00:01

The author is a professor of psychology at Hallym University.
“You haven’t failed in life. You just missed your chance. We’ll make sure you get back on your feet.”
These words from a television show immediately caught my attention. “Baek Jong-won’s Les Misérables” (2024), a reality show promising "life-changing" transformations, helps participants who have experienced failure rebuild their lives through careers in the food industry. As the title suggests, some contestants had strayed onto the wrong path in the past.
But there is always a predictable comment that appears whenever such redemption stories are aired: “People never change.”
Many studies suggest that personality is innate and largely immutable.
Research indicates that genes related to dopamine and serotonin play a role in shaping personality. Studies on identical twins also show that genetics have a greater influence on personality than environment.
Even personality test results remain relatively stable over time.
One of the most widely accepted psychological theories, the Big Five personality traits, categorizes personality into Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness.
Repeated tests on the same individuals reveal that while personality may shift slightly with age — for example, extraversion tends to decline while agreeableness and conscientiousness increase — there are rarely dramatic transformations. It is no surprise, then, that the saying “People never change” persists.
However, another widely respected personality assessment — the TCI (Temperament and Character Inventory) — distinguishes between temperament, which is innate, and character, which is shaped through experience and learning.
According to this model, temperament remains largely fixed, but character — which includes autonomy, social connectedness and self-transcendence — can evolve.
This suggests that while certain traits may be deeply ingrained, there is still room for growth and transformation.
I once asked a professor of criminal psychology whether a criminal’s innate personality made rehabilitation impossible. His response was unequivocal: “This is not about whether it is possible or impossible. The reality is — we must change them.”
It would be ideal if everyone could simply follow their natural inclinations. But what if someone’s innate tendencies make them unfit to live harmoniously with others?
Instead of resigning ourselves to the belief that people cannot change, isolating them or branding them with a permanent stigma, shouldn’t we be investing in ways to help them transform and reintegrate into society?
Rather than dismissing change as impossible, perhaps we should focus on making it happen.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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