Has Your Personality Progressed or Digressed Over Time?

[bullet08]

When I was younger, I was definitely more idealistic. I was always conservative being from S. Korea and living an hour from North. Used to donate blood and coins religiously believing that was good thing. Help others when it mattered, and share things that I had plenty of. Even on occasions, I dreamt about a possible eutopia. Now? I'm not sure if all those rainbow and butterfly bullshit works. Those who take will always look for hand out, and those who give will hand out till they are empty. And they won't shut up until they suck us dry. It's more, more, more for just yelling louder and being stupid. Maybe I'm just not happy with reality.

 

[irishearl]

Have now lived 67+ years and have become more patient, laid-back and compassionate over those years for the most part.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

When I was younger, I was definitely more idealistic. I was always conservative being from S. Korea and living an hour from North. Used to donate blood and coins religiously believing that was good thing. Help others when it mattered, and share things that I had plenty of. Even on occasions, I dreamt about a possible eutopia. Now? I'm not sure if all those rainbow and butterfly bullshit works. Those who take will always look for hand out, and those who give will hand out till they are empty. And they won't shut up until they suck us dry. It's more, more, more for just yelling louder and being stupid. Maybe I'm just not happy with reality.

If you stop giving because a few abuse, you’ll miss out on doing good to those that need some help.

 

[mso489]

I think most notions of development and decline are somewhat prejudicial. I think people trade off aspects of sensory acuteness, physical abilities, intellect, etc. etc, for qualities of wisdom, loyalty, and persistence. Also, peoples' choices affect them hugely, so some find niches and paths that make them grow, and others don't, and some people follow self-defeating and destructive paths, sometimes along with career success and public acclaim. The senses are probably most acute when a person is about ten years old, but this makes them easy to please with food for example. When I was ten, no cuisine in the world could exceed a small hamburger and fries a the local burger shack (it was called Robin Hood's). Many creative advances in arts and sciences are achieved by people who sustain aspects of childhood creativity rather than growing past them. In most successful longer lives there is a continual process of picking up the next array of aptitudes presented by each stage of life. To some degree, "the child is the father of the man." Likewise, I don't consider the infirmities of age as judgements on the person, just a biological fact. Bodies can last a long time, but they don't last indefinitely.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If you stop giving because a few abuse, you’ll miss out on doing good to those that need some help.

I'm pretty sure some are confusing this digression/progression thing with being nice, or doing good. I don't have to tolerate someone giving me bullshit to be nice. Just because I am leaving the conversation, doesn't mean I wish any ill will. Some of the most generous, kind hearted people I know, don't take any crap.
In my experience, sometimes trying to understand someone's bullshit leads to more problems than just walking away.
And Hell, I don't carry any grudges... that requires too much effort to remember.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I'm pretty sure some are confusing this digression/progression thing with being nice, or doing good. I don't have to tolerate someone giving me bullshit to be nice. Just because I am leaving the conversation, doesn't mean I wish any ill will. Some of the most generous, kind hearted people I know, don't take any crap.
In my experience, sometimes trying to understand someone's bullshit leads to more problems than just walking away.
And Hell, I don't carry any grudges... that requires too much effort to remember.

Much that you say, I agree, but calling what others think BS, is, perhaps, not valid. Maybe it is, maybe it’s not.

However, there is truth and damn lies. I get it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I agree, but calling what others think BS, is, perhaps, not valid.

See, I have no idea what that bullshit is all about right there, ha ha. Most of what a person can think is pure bullshit.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

See, I have no idea what that bullshit is all about right there, ha ha. Most of what a person can think is pure bullshit.

As a friend says, “maybe, maybe not”.

I’m not saying you’re wrong, after all, you are a fellow Alabamian.

 

[bullet08]

Reread the title. To others, I have progressed. I'm not as short tempered as I used to be. I smile more often, don't yell out my opinions and walk away than start an argument. But, reality is an opposite. I smile and walk away because I don't give a damn. Nothing is important enough to waste my time on. Easier to ignore than waste my energy. Beside, dealing with those will take time away from my smoking. Other than that, I'm a ray of sunshine.

 

[pauls456]

Two starkly contrasting examples of what can happen to a politician's aging mind: Joe Biden and Rudy Giuliani.

 

[Skatutakee]

My taste in tobacco has progressed nicely over the years.

 

[telescopes]

Much that you say, I agree, but calling what others think BS, is, perhaps, not valid. Maybe it is, maybe it’s not.

However, there is truth and damn lies. I get it.

Yah, ... no. Hitler - full of bullshit. It's okay to say that and truth be told, I'll stand by saying his point of view wasn't valid. Feel free to disagree. Stalin and Mussolini, Gaddafi, I could go on. Mafia bosses... view point just isn't going to get my respect. And it is okay not to respect someone's point of view if their POV is based on data from unicorns. The idea that everyone's opinion counts and is entitled to respect stops where my nose begins. As public policy, it one thing to discriminate, but privately, only an idiot would consider idiocy. And who gets to decide what is stupid.... you do.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yah, ... no. Hitler - full of bullshit. It's okay to say that and truth be told, I'll stand by saying his point of view wasn't valid. Feel free to disagree. Stalin and Mussolini, Gaddafi, I could go on. Mafia bosses... view point just isn't going to get my respect. And it is okay not to respect someone's point of view if their POV is based on data from unicorns. The idea that everyone's opinion counts and is entitled to respect stops where my nose begins. As public policy, it one thing to discriminate, but privately, only an idiot would consider idiocy. And who gets to decide what is stupid.... you do.

Only thing I want validated is my parking. My opinions... I don't even understand why or how. I would never insult someone for being who or what they are, but if they are coming at me with stupid ideas... WTF, I have to stop and validate that son of a bitch? Ha ha! What a world this has become.

 

[telescopes]

Only thing I want validated is my parking. My opinions... I don't even understand why or how. I would never insult someone for being who or what they are, but if they are coming at me with stupid ideas... WTF, I have to stop and validate that son of a bitch? Ha ha! What a world this has become.

Worse, in the work place, not validating someone's stupid ideas is seen as a personal attack and a microaggression requiring a reprimand from HR. Any one whose ideas require them to feel safe in their space when toting them is in my view, not worth listening to.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I need a tshirt that says, “Your opinions and beliefs are valid, just don’t talk to me about them.”

 

[rajangan]

I'm still human, but I have become less judgemental, anxious, depressed, and angry. My anger is more justified and less reactive. I have become more brave and more aware of my own lies to myself. I don't need to make excuses for other people to 'explain' their deviance, though. I just don't see black and white anymore.

 

[LotusEater]

I think most notions of development and decline are somewhat prejudicial. I think people trade off aspects of sensory acuteness, physical abilities, intellect, etc. etc, for qualities of wisdom, loyalty, and persistence. Also, peoples' choices affect them hugely, so some find niches and paths that make them grow, and others don't, and some people follow self-defeating and destructive paths, sometimes along with career success and public acclaim. The senses are probably most acute when a person is about ten years old, but this makes them easy to please with food for example. When I was ten, no cuisine in the world could exceed a small hamburger and fries a the local burger shack (it was called Robin Hood's). Many creative advances in arts and sciences are achieved by people who sustain aspects of childhood creativity rather than growing past them. In most successful longer lives there is a continual process of picking up the next array of aptitudes presented by each stage of life. To some degree, "the child is the father of the man." Likewise, I don't consider the infirmities of age as judgements on the person, just a biological fact. Bodies can last a long time, but they don't last indefinitely.

Having done a good bit of research and teaching re the psychology of aging in grad school - I think you are pretty spot on with what your take mso849

 

[LotusEater]

Many of you may be outliers. Personality traits are supposed to be relatively stable after adolescence but may change gradually “for the better”.
Here is a link to brief article about this from NPR

Personality Can Change Over A Lifetime, And Usually For The Better

Psychologists have been arguing for decades over whether personality traits are real or a myth. More recent research shows that traits are real, a scientist says, and have a big effect on behavior.

www.npr.org

 

[telescopes]

I'm still human, but I have become less judgemental, anxious, depressed, and angry. My anger is more justified and less reactive. I have become more brave and more aware of my own lies to myself. I don't need to make excuses for other people to 'explain' their deviance, though. I just don't see black and white anymore.

That, and it is more difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

 

[telescopes]

Many of you may be outliers. Personality traits are supposed to be relatively stable after adolescence but may change gradually “for the better”.
Here is a link to brief article about this from NPR

Personality Can Change Over A Lifetime, And Usually For The Better

Psychologists have been arguing for decades over whether personality traits are real or a myth. More recent research shows that traits are real, a scientist says, and have a big effect on behavior.

www.npr.org

Yes, I agree. My dad want from Asshole of the Mountain to just asshole. My brother laughs about it and has said, "Where was he when we were kids?" Of course, that is still a joke.