Extreme Makeover: Personality Edition

Extreme Makeover: Personality Edition

Author: Pushkin Industries March 31, 2025 Duration: 40:45

Science writer Olga Khazan didn’t really like herself. A self-described neurotic, she tended to fixate on the negative. She assumed she’d always be this way, but then she came across research showing that personality is something you can change. In today's episode, Olga chronicles her year-long journey to "fix" her personality, and invites us to consider whether it’s truly possible to change who we are.

Try the personality test that Olga talks about here.

Sign up for Maya’s new newsletter, where she shares the results of *her* personality test (!) here.


Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Life has a way of rewriting our scripts, often when we least expect it. A Slight Change of Plans, from Pushkin Industries, sits with that universal truth through conversations that feel both intimate and expansive. Hosted by cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar, the podcast is shaped by her own pivotal shift-a violin career ended by injury, which led her to professionally examine how we process transformation. Each episode moves beyond theory, featuring deeply personal stories from a wide range of guests who share their own encounters with upheaval. What you’ll hear isn’t just about resilience, but the nuanced science and practical strategies that can help anyone navigate a redirected path. It’s this thoughtful blend of human experience and grounded research that earned the series Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year. Listening feels like gaining a wiser friend, one who helps you reframe life’s unexpected turns not as disasters, but as complex chapters in a continuing story. The podcast ultimately explores how our identities adapt, how we find meaning, and how even the most disruptive changes can lead to growth we never planned for.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

A Slight Change of Plans
Podcast Episodes
A Climber Loses Her Grip [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:20
As a professional rock climber, Beth Rodden was taught to see pain as weakness. Fear and discomfort—mental and physical—were just things to be tolerated along the path to one record-breaking climbing feat after another.…
BONUS: Boost Your Resilience At Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:21
What can we do to cultivate more resilience at work? Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, thinks about this question a lot. In today’s mini episode, Ben joins Maya to talk about the…
Glennon Doyle on How to Be Broken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:38
For as long as writer Glennon Doyle can remember, she’s felt that something inside her was broken. 'Who am I really? What am I meant to do? And why does it feel so bad to be in this body?' These are the messy questions t…
The Two Words That Saved Mel Robbins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:51
If you've ever found yourself bending over backwards to meet other people’s expectations, or trying to control your loved ones’ emotions and behaviors, you are not alone. Bestselling author and podcast host Mel Robbins s…
Maya’s Exciting Announcement! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:09
I’ve been dying to share this news with you for quite some time, and I'm so happy that today I finally can. Pre-order “The Other Side of Change” now at changewithmaya.com/book. Read more about my journey to writing “The…
Is Amanda Knox Finally Free? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:38
Amanda Knox has spent a decade trying to move on after being wrongfully convicted of murder. But over the years, one question lingered - why had the lead prosecutor in her case, Giuliano Mignini, been so determined to vi…
Amanda Knox Knows What You’re Thinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:23
Amanda Knox was just 20 years old when she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit — the murder of her roommate. Amanda spent four years in an Italian prison before she was finally exonerated and allowed to return…
How to Say No [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:17
Have you ever found yourself saying yes to something you really didn’t want to do? Psychologist Sunita Sah is an expert on why it can be so difficult to say no, especially when our relationships or reputations are on the…
The Case Against ‘Feeling Your Feelings’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:20
Psychologist Ethan Kross wants us to stop thinking about our emotions as either good or bad. Emotions carry valuable information, he says, and they are signals that can help us change our behavior. As an expert in the sc…
New Year, Old You? We Got You. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:03
It’s February – AKA the month when, research shows, we start slipping on our New Year’s resolutions. And so, I’m re-sharing one of my favorite science episodes to help us all get back on track. Behavioral scientist Katy…