Can We Change And Still Be The Same Person?
Can someone change and still remain the same person? How many times has someone told us “never change?” In this sense, change can be seen as something negative or a weakness. “It’s changed, it’s not the same anymore.”
Change is necessary, natural and fundamental for survival. Yet many see it as something negative. However, what if we admitted that we could change and still remain the same person?
When we are confronted with the need to change, we resist it in an inner or outer way. This form of resistance works against change.
The resistance can also persist while the change is being made and last until it takes effect. Is it possible that these changes, those transformations, allow us to keep our essence?
In this article we are talking about the topic of personal change. We will try to understand why there is resistance to change and why change is rejected. Finally, we also try to give reasons that support the idea that we can change over time and still remain the same person.
Why do some people resist change?
Resistance to change is normal. All systems have inner forces that seek durability and stability. This means that it is easier to maintain our daily dynamics (although this is problematic) than another or create a new alternative dynamic.
You already have certain habits. Others have adapted to those habits as well. A routine makes you predictable. Routines allow others to know what to expect from us. Short-term sustainability is therefore usually more pleasant than change. This is why people are so resistant to change.
Another reason people resist change is that over time they become accustomed to habits and mechanisms for dealing with things.
They spend a lot of time designing psychological tools to handle difficult moments. Even when those resources aren’t appropriate, they’re happy to use them. The reason is that they personally designed those instruments.
The resistance to change arises in this way. Some people think that change is a weakness. If you’ve been acting a certain way for so long, why do you need to change it?
As we mentioned, the people around us also feel much calmer and more at ease if they can predict our attitudes, reactions and behaviors. So without realizing it, the people around us are also looking for sustainability and stability. Perhaps they will also offer some resistance to the changes we are making.
The process of changing our minds
People may see change as a weakness for other reasons as well. When a person changes his mind, it can cause others to perceive him as insecure, fickle and unpredictable.
Changing a wrong opinion is actually an intelligent and courageous decision in the long run. If we don’t change our opinions, we will end up being prisoners of our own contradiction: thinking one and defending the opposite.
Moreover , changing our opinions is the result of a process of thinking. This process begins when we acquire new information. We then begin to perceive reality in new ways as a result of that new information.
Eventually we realize that what we used to think no longer helps us. So it is no longer correct. In our minds this new information is great! What defines us as humans is the ability to make decisions based on intelligence.
The process of change involves a personal metamorphosis. It encompasses many of our ideas and characteristics. As we change, we may feel as if we are throwing off some of what we used to be. However, others may see this change as a weakness.
Change and still remain the same person: an achievable challenge
In most cases, the process of personal change tries to bring out the best in each individual. What we know as change is actually the result of the liberation of people from their chains, their limitations and their fears.
So we don’t really change. We only remove the barriers that keep us from our true selves. By giving ourselves the freedom to fly, we are true to ourselves.
How can we change and still remain the same person? We can do this by looking around us. We have to look at reality from different points of view. It’s also important that we know how to appreciate the unique differences in each experience.
From there we choose how we will behave, what we will think and what we will say according to the situation and how we feel. We must be able to act without preconceived and strict rules that force us to always act in the same way.
If we want to be able to change and still remain the same person, we have to leave behind any kind of rules or requirements. We must consciously choose the best way to present ourselves to the world in every possible moment. In this way the individual can be true to his own essence.
From this point on, they can change and somehow still remain the same person. You then choose how you position yourself according to how you feel rather than according to what you “should do.” It is the most liberating and genuine way to stay true to yourself.
Eastern Philosophy
Eastern philosophy explains that people should not come to a standstill. We must recognize and overcome our own limitations. In this way we free up space so that our true being can emerge, express and develop.
Several Eastern philosophers argue that changing and remaining the same person is not a skill that we can learn easily or quickly. It requires continuous effort. The reason is that our psychological system tries to remain stable on solid foundations.
Robert Spencer has dealt with this theme in his book The Craft of the Warrior . According to Spencer, we have to get used to having different points of view so that we remain elastic. We will thus be able to avoid the danger of locking ourselves into a single way of looking.
Only the appropriate training in this type of gymnastics will lead to spontaneity. If this training is interrupted, our mind quickly tries to protect itself. The mind then becomes trapped again in the chains of its own thoughts.
Finally, a metaphor
To conclude, we would like to share a metaphor with you. It explains how it is possible to change and still remain the same person.
What would happen if you were just like water?
