[brains.self-awareness] possibility for change

[wispfox]

Something I am reminded of due to conversations I'm having...

At a very deep level, I believe that as long as any individual person lives, there is always possibility for change in that person and their life, however vanishingly small. I _have_ to believe that, or I lose a large part of what makes me who I am. Indeed, I lose a large part of how I became the person I am today.

For me, it's the difference between having any particular reason to believe that any specific person will change, and believing that there is possibility for change, as long as there is life.

And, not believing that takes away far too much of the joy, the hope, and the promise in life. Indeed, if I did not believe that, my next career path _could not_ be psychology (therapy, specifically). I have to believe in change. I note that I do not specify that the change is necessarily positive, although I tend toward being sufficiently optimistic that that is what I tend to think of when I say it. Change _at all_ is what I mean. Change and growth and learning and hope. I _need_ these things to remain sane. I do not want to live in a world that does not have them.

Comments

[ladytabitha.livejournal.com]

The primary category for me is "existance is change"; under that are things like "people", "culture", "rocks", whatever.  "People can change" is only more noteworthy because... I can't find the right words for it, but, social interactions are more emotionally charged, or have the potential for such, than other things.

It can sometimes be hard to remember, especially in the face of negative encounters.  "She's a worthless vile bitch" is poisonous, because I've closed off any possibility of her changing in my eyes, and because I've... introduced or reinforced closed-offedness in my own mind.  So it's important to remember that people can change (at all) both to increase the possibilities of future interaction (optimism!) and to not introduce rigidity to my own brain.

Past that, I think you're a nutter, but that's attractive to me in certain aspects, so.  :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Second paragraph: Yes. That. I have no idea if that was an attempted restatement of what I said, but that's what I was trying to say.