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.


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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
How To Be A More Trustworthy Person [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:10
Trust is the glue that holds human connection together – but how do we earn it? Rachel Botsman, an expert on trust and human behavior, explores the subtle and powerful signals we send in relationships. Her new audiobook,…
BONUS: Make Your Inner Voice Work For You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
Welcome back, Slight Changers! 2025 has already been quite the year. Whew. Because so many of us are feeling overwhelmed, we in the Slight Change family produced a compilation episode with wisdom from our past guests abo…
The Secret to a Good Conversation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
Charles Duhigg is a journalist who is interested in what makes for a good conversation. He talks to Maya about some science-backed techniques we can try to improve our conversational skills, including the art of asking d…
Breaking Free From Family Beliefs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:01
Writer Safiya Sinclair grew up on the north coast of Jamaica in a Rastafari family. Her father was the head of the household and he made Safiya and her siblings follow a strict interpretation of Rastafari, a religious an…
What We Get Wrong About The Teen Brain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:30
We have a lot of misconceptions about young people and their developing brains, says psychologist David Yeager. It’s true that young people’s brains are underdeveloped, but that’s not the only factor behind their decisio…
Why It's So Tough To Be Kind To Yourself [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:23
Kristin Neff is a psychologist and the author of "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself." Her pioneering research busts cultural myths about self-compassion and shows it’s an effective motivational…
Rethinking Ambition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:34
For many years, writer Jennifer Romolini prided herself on her work ethic. She climbed to the top of every corporate ladder and worked 60 hours or more every week. But after an unexpected health crisis, Jennifer realized…
The Story of a Smile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:38
Soon after giving birth, writer Sarah Ruhl developed a severe case of facial paralysis. The left side of her face drooped, she couldn’t blink or raise her eyebrows, and she could no longer smile. Sarah shares what it was…
Maya’s Slight Change of Plans, Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:24
A few years ago, Maya experienced a heartbreaking change in her personal life, while on her way to trying to become a mom. Two days after it happened, she felt the need to process it out loud, like so many of her guests…
A Rock Climber's Brush with Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:59
Tommy Caldwell’s near-death experience unlocks a completely new state of mind that propels him to become a record-setting big wall climber. We'll be back with new episodes in your feed later this fall, but in the meantim…