Olga Khazan on The Science and Promise of Personality Change | EP 667

Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Passion Struck Network

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4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles is joined by Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of Me, But Better, for a transformative conversation about the science and promise of personality change.

For much of the 20th century, psychologists assumed that our personalities were largely fixed by adulthood — that who we are at 30 is who we’ll be for life. But Olga’s work brings together groundbreaking research proving that personality traits can, in fact, be intentionally shaped.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I really change who I am?” this episode is your evidence-based invitation to try.

Visit this link for the full show notes

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

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Catch more of Olga Khazan: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/olga-khazan/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up next on Passionstruck.
0:02.2	You can try very hard.
0:04.1	You can do everything in your power to try to get a certain outcome, but you can't ultimately
0:10.5	control the outcome.
0:12.1	Like you have to let go at a certain point and let the cards fall where they may.
0:16.7	And to me, that was really freeing because I had lived my whole life thinking that if I didn't control the outcome and I didn't have the outcome that I wanted, that it was my personal fault and I should have done things differently.
0:28.2	But I could just, I don't know, it's like nice to know that like other people also have this struggle and have realized that at a certain point, yeah, you can try, you can work on a
0:38.4	political campaign super duper hard and then come election day, they might pick the other guy.
0:43.4	And that's just part of life.
0:45.7	Welcome to Passionstruck.
0:47.1	Hi, I'm your host, John R. Miles.
0:49.0	And on the show, we decipher the secrets, tips, and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their
0:56.0	wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you.
0:59.7	Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best
1:06.2	version of yourself.
1:07.4	If you're new to the show, I offer advice and answer listener questions on Fridays.
1:12.1	We have long-form interviews the rest of the week with guests ranging from astronauts to authors,
1:18.5	CEOs, creators, innovators, scientists, military leaders, visionaries, and athletes. Now, let's go out there
1:26.3	and become passion struck. Welcome to episode 667,
1:31.3	and I'm so glad you've joined us. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new, welcome. Over a third of
1:36.9	you come back week after week, which tells me Passion Struck isn't just another podcast. Together,
1:42.9	we're passing the ripple of matter and farther than we
	...

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