1285 Changing Personality

People’s personalities change over time. The most obvious is awkward adolescence: older than a boy but not yet a man; a lack of confidence in social situations apparent to anyone, your maturity still developing. For some people, that stage of their life doesn’t get over with until late into their 20s but then comes another personality change in their 30s. Hopefully, a relationship with a spouse, possibly kids, the recognition that there’s something more important in the world than yourself. The middling maturity of their 30s transitions into Middle-aged crazies; the recognition that you’ll never be a sports star, stellar entrepreneur, nor even admired by other people. If you’re lucky enough to have children, at least there’s someone who looks up to you. In your 50s, the kids are gone, emotionally if not physically. Your wife goes through menopause, causing romance to decline; your own attractiveness needs help from hair dye, strict diet & the gym. Whatever narcissistic traits you still exhibit are forcefully vacated because it’s clear the generation under you has taken over. After your 60s, you find you’re invisible, and people only listen to your opinion out of courtesy. The facade of masculinity is completely dropped: you don’t even compete in the male dominance hierarchy any longer. Along this arduous way, your personality must change from being no one to being someone back to being no one again.