Olga Khazan transforms her life by changing her personality

In a quest to alter her deeply introverted personality, Olga Khazan, a staff writer for The Atlantic, embarked on a significant personal journey. Khazan, who recognized that her introversion led her to feel isolated and lonely, made the conscious decision to push herself outside of her comfort zone and explore extroversion as her primary focus. This decision came after years of struggling with her personality and feeling unfulfilled, and it marked a pivotal turning point in her life. She began tackling extroversion intensively, viewing it as a means to escape what she described as a rut in her life. Khazan's exploration of extroversion included participation in activities such as improv comedy to help her engage with others and combat her extreme introversion. After spending a year largely isolated due to the pandemic, Khazan faced the additional challenge of getting comfortable in social settings again. Her activities were aimed at fostering interaction and diminishing her reluctance to engage with people, which historically compelled her to retreat into solitary activities like reading articles on her phone instead of socializing. The improvisational aspect of her activities served as an important catalyst for her personality shift, reinforcing the notion that it was acceptable to make mistakes in social situations. Throughout this journey, Khazan reported feeling varying levels of discomfort, especially in the beginning, highlighting the psychological struggle many face when attempting to adopt new behaviors that feel foreign. Through consistent practice and involvement, she learned that integrating new behaviors into her life required repetition and patience. Khazan turned to journaling during this transformative period, which she found helpful in recognizing positive aspects of her life that may have otherwise gone unnoticed due to her neurotic tendencies. This practice encouraged her to concentrate on the aspects of living beyond her work obsession, which had previously consumed her time. In the process, she forged a new path for herself, achieving a more fulfilling lifestyle that contrasted starkly with her past experiences. By the end of her journey, Khazan felt confident that her personality had indeed changed, leading to a more engaging approach to life and interactions. Her experiences, detailed in her book, illustrate that personality change is possible and can be deliberate, challenging the common belief that one’s personality is static and unchangeable over time.