And they can track how those traits increase or decrease in a group over time. P sychologists have identified certain major, measurable personality traits called the “Big Five”: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, openness to experience, and neuroticism. And on a societal level, personality changes might tell us something about the conditions that older adults face. These developments illuminate what personality really is: not a permanent state but an adaptive way of being. People’s personality can morph in response to their circumstances, helping them shift priorities, come to terms with loss, and acclimate to a changing life. But some researchers don’t believe the phenomenon is fully explained by those factors. This trend is probably observed in older populations in part because older adults are more likely to experience brain changes such as cognitive impairment and dementia. More recent studies suggest that something unexpected happens to many people as they reach and pass their 60s: Their personality starts changing again. Psychologists used to follow the same line of thinking: After young adulthood, people tend to settle into themselves, and personality, though not immutable, usually becomes stabler as people age. A time when we’ve become so set in our ways that, whether we’re proud of them or not, we’re not likely to budge. Y ou’ve probably heard the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” An awful phrase, I know, but it speaks to a common belief about older adulthood: that it’s a time of stagnation. This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday.
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