What are the catalysts (events) that cause individuals to change their
lives?
Most of my friends seem like me...poking along, quasi-content,
avoiding change.
I am compiling a list of 30 common times individuals dramatically
change as a person. EXAMPLES:
1. Marriage
2. Religious conversion
3. Loss of a loved one
4. War
5. Birth of a child
6. Near-death experience
7. Drug use
8. Prison
9. Second chance at something
et cetera
Any ideas (positive or negative) would be greatly appreciated !
Nronronronro,
Thank you for the question! You have begun a great list already, but
let's see what I might add to the mix.
Psychologists use the following "Life Stress Test" to determine if a
person is experiencing an overdose of stressful events. I think
you'll find some items to add to your list here:
http://www.cliving.org/lifstrstst.htm .
I would pull out: Divorce, retirement, change to a different line of
work, outstanding personal achievement as things that could alter
one's personality long-term.
Here's a good article at iVillage about what could cause a person to
change drastically. She doesn't get to the meat of the article until
page 2. http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/emotional/qas/0,11816,230651_172266,00.html
Though this article does not specifically name events which could
cause change, I believe it offers a scale to weigh our catalysts on.
See the section, "Universal Observations of Personality Change".
Basically, the author states that anything can be categorized a
catalyst for personality change if it involves deep emotion within a
close relationship with another person, usually where the person has
made an intellectual decision to change some facet of themselves or
their lifestyle.
http://www.focusing.org/personality_change.html#Personality%20Theory%20and%20Personality%20Change
That said, I'm going to start counting where your list left off, to
see if we can come close to 30.
10. Desire to please another person (via stopping smoking, becoming
neater, procrastinating less). Though this one, in my experience, is
less permanent a change.
11. Personal illness (short of a near-death experience). Diabetes or
lupus, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's.
12. Hope given or taken away. In reading an article about Ric Flair
(of all things), http://hometown.aol.com/solie11/flairobs.html, it
occurs to me that a sudden infusion of hope in someone's life could
change a personality. If you don't have hope, you might not try to be
a different person, but if someone (a teacher, a friend) shines a
light in your dark room, you might begin trying to be someone
different. I suppose a loss of hope could do the same.
13. Coercion or force. One could be forced to change one's behavior
by a brush with the legal system (short of prison). A rehabilitation
program or parole or community service. Also, one could be forced to
change to keep one's job or get promoted to another one.
14. Exposure to another culture or way of thinking, as supported by
the following research from a dissertation:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/globaled/ro/abstracts/abstract403.html
15. Aging. That is, facing up to the fact that one is not going to
live forever. For instance, as I have moved into another decade of my
life, I have decided to stop being afraid of roller coasters, hot air
balloons, and jumping out of airplanes.
16. Medical Intervention for the good. Plastic surgery could alter
one's personality significantly if they begin feeling better about
themselves.
Substance Abuse (you mentioned, so I didn't count):
http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/yourhealth/HIL/indexes/SYMP3223.htm
17. Substance use for the good. For instance, someone with depression
who uses an anti-depressant. Mood-altering drugs can also change the
personality of those not suffering from depression:
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/5e02e.htm
18. Adverse reaction to a prescribed drug:
http://www.traders.co.uk/insulintrust/database/id50.htm
19. Physical injury/accident (short of a near-death experience):
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/news/ni/perschan.html
20. Covetousness. If you see someone with something you want, you
might be tempted to become more like them to get it, too. This could
be good, too. If you know someone who is admired by others, you might
try to become more like them.
21. The need to self-actualize:
http://www.wynja.com/personality/rogersff.html
22. Exposure to a cult (or, I suppose, any influential group of
friends):
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/5e02e.htm. Or ask the nearest parent of a
teenager.
23. Depression.
24. Post-traumatic stress disorder (not necessarily just from being in
or around war). Could be brought about by being the victim of a crime
or witnessing tragic events (9/11).
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/newspol/camp/crime/articles/0,10233,185958_186413,00.html
25. Change in lifestyle, i.e., winning the lottery or becoming a movie
star or famous athlete. On the other side of the coin, losing
everything you have to a dip in the stock market or an natural
disaster.
Need to accept more responsibility. (Could be covered by birth of a
child, marriage, or loss of a loved one, if that loved one left you in
charge of the household.)
26. Dissatisfaction/Boredom. I got tired of having no energy and not
being able to find clothes to wear, so I joined a gym and lost some
weight.
Political instability (too close to War?). I can't find it right now,
but I previously ran across a quote about the political unrest in the
Middle East where children have become sullen and withdrawn and a
third of Palestinian children under 15 wet the bed.
27. Noticing adverse consequences. (i.e., smoking, overeating, getting
drunk, drinking while driving, etc.)
28. Positive influence by a trustworthy peer or superior. Teacher,
pastor, police officer, athletic coach.
29. Poor diet. http://www.laurushealth.com/HealthyLiving/mar99NutritionDietDepression.htm
30. Life experience--exposure to ideas which alter one's outlook on
life.
Finally, whatever the reasons for changing, this seemed a great site
for planning and organizing that change:
http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap14/chap14l.htm
I hope this helps augment your brainstorming session! Some of the
items, if lined up, could form overlapping circles of responsibility,
but I'll let you be the final judge of whether we have 30 unique items
here.
Thanks for contacting Google Answers!
Search Term: life stress, personality change
URL for results of search term 'life stress':
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=life+stress&btnG=Google+Search
URL for results of search term 'personality change':
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=personality+change&btnG=Google+Search
 Walking/Running Puppy - Advise needed
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What are the catalysts (events) that cause individuals to change their lives?