To think that a leopard never changes its spots?

[SnugShaker]

People always say that people can change but in my experience, they rarely do especially when it comes to deep-rooted traits like dishonesty, selfishness, or unreliability. Have you ever known someone who truly changed for the better or do people just learn to hide their flaws better?

Definitely people can change. But they have to want to and work at it.

Most of us grow and change throughout our lives, and we’re all products of our early environments, which plenty of people manage to turn around as they mature. Do you not look back at your younger self and cringe sometimes at the times you were selfish, thoughtless, self-absorbed, unreliable? I know I do. Life knocks most of us into shape eventually.

I think people can learn from their mistakes and become better people, but otoh, some people just get more so (stubborn/selfish/empathetic/whatever) as they get older.

I suppose it’s easier to say when you know the context, in general I think yes, they can but it’s not easy.

They generally get worse.

@ComtesseDeSpair I agree 100 %! It’s exactly my thoughts when I'm thinking about 18 y.o. me.

They may change, but once my trust is gone, it’s gone forever.

I have relatives who were cruel many years ago. They do try and be kind and inclusive now but I just can’t allow myself to remove the walls I’ve built.

I think certain key traits are engrained/ product of upbringing and we need to do work on ourselves to change behaviour patterns

Children can change. Teenagers can change. Young adults can change. It’s rarer with age.

It's very, very rare for a fully developed adult to completely change. Most who do so have gone through some sort of ephiphany. But it does depend on what you're talking about. If your asking if an 18 year old who gets drunk every night with the lads, lies to their parents/girlfriend sometimes and never does the washing up will ever change, the answer is probably yes. If you're asking whether a 30 year old who does similar will ever change I'd say probably not.

Yes people can change. If they have enough motivation or desire to do so.
As PP’s have said, people change and evolve over their lifetime and I’m definitely not the same person I was in my 20’s. But my core values are the same, I just respond to things differently with the benefit of experience.
A lot of people on here have ex’s, partners or relatives who don’t behave well. And they’re not likely to change unless they want to.
When someone has an easy life behaving badly, of course they won’t change, why would they?