can adult personality be changed?

Question

Could someone, for example, change a full Myers-Briggs letter, like from ENFP to ENFJ?

Note: If you don't know what the myer's brigg's is, then imagine someone going from being a total introvert to an total extrovert, or someone going from laid back to hyper-organized, or from gruff to touchy-feely.

Without the use of temporary personality-changing drugs like alcohol, ritalin, or prozac.

Answer 1

sure, there is always brain damage by accident or lobotmy, electro shock therapy, I'm not sure hypnosis or therapy really works unless it's a case of repressed desire or never having learned how to react (a late bloomer sort of thing). Medication lasts as long as the drug is in the system, "temporary" as you say. Alcohol just relaxes any inhibitions we have about revealing our true nature, and that people can learn to do, at least around people they are comfortable with.

Answer 2

sure, a person can go from total introvert to total extrovert and visa versa. It could be thru play acting or for real, and yes, done without any of personality-changing drugs. Politicians and movie stars are two examples. But in life where a total change is made it could be because of a career change wherein by learning and emulating for the purpose of making money, say for instance in the field of real estate, you come out of your shell either partially or totally and can make a total change of personality. Or, because of some accident or other life changing event like maybe some fear or fright, an extrovert can become an introvert. Sometimes people are weird and call people who change a lot from inute to minute a charleton (I think) but that's not what I'm talking about here.

Even people who attend college are shy sometimes, but by the time they get their sheepskin they have built their ego, and by the time they get their MBA they've changed sufficiently and built themselves up and are able to take on the world.

Answer 3

It can be done, but a total reversal doesn't seem like a good idea; more towards the norm would be desirable. Hypnosis is one way, reprogramming is another(not quick or easy). Brainwashing (nasty). Ask your doctor to refer you for specialist treatment. Join groups of similarly affected people to find out what helped. Or start your own. Go to: www.myspace.com and type in the name of your problem, followed by your country's 2 letter code: if I was in New Zealand and was depressed, I'd type" depression:nz" into the bar near the top of the webpage. If it's a rare condition, I might try skipping the 2 letter code. Try the Webferret search engine, and Google and Wikipedia. Remember to try to help others!

Answer 4

My Myers-Briggs letter is INTP and INFJ depending on the day and my current mood. I believe that people's personalities can be change to some extent but I don't think that a INTP is going to one day wake up as an ENFJ. Much of our personality is based on who we are around (environmental) and our experience and the expectations that we feel others place on us.

Answer 5

That test shows your tendencies, but doesn´t define you forever and ever. The fact that you are an introvert by nature, doesn´t necessarily mean that you have to be super shy or a loner that lives in the woods...lol. A lot of introverted people live full lives by adapting to whatever they have to adapt to live the lives they want. Take it as a starting point in getting to know yourself better. Follow their recommendations, but don´t take their word over your personal thoughts and needs.

Answer 6

to precipitate change first one MUST ADMIT without exception that they have a problem and then they must commit TOTALLY to making that change to the best of their ability and then it has to become almost an addiction or compulsion to work EVERYDAY and every moment on that which helps them to change,its not easy, therapy is a good start it takes alot of self realization, and total self honesty. Also group confrontation like group therapy always helps. THIS is the premise upon which addiction and alcoholism have been conquered in many hundreds of thousands of addicts and alkies, and its all about changing the way you THINK and act which is basically personality change

Answer 7

I changed like that after long term external exposure caused change for survival.
In the absence of that exposure there was a period of loss of identity afterwards, which caused much distress itself.
Health required returning to those who loved me, allowing myself to feel without fear and my natural self returned slowly.
So in other words, change was situational, necessary, but unnatural, therefore not a true personality change.