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Yes, people can change. I'll defend my answer in two ways.

First, I'll point to science. In a recent cover story in "Time" magazine dealing with addiction, the author admitted to being an alcoholic. He told stories of several other people he had interviewed, and cited a recent study about the human brain. The conclusion he came to was that the brain, if given a long enough period of time, can change its chemical makeup, causing different behavior in a person, thus "changing" them. (He himself, upon smelling alcohol, had no desire to drink it. This was a considerable change from his past) It makes sense. Head trauma, tumors, and aging cause changes in behavior all the time, and although I'm not a scientist and I've never done any research on the human brain, I believe what I read in that article.

Second, I'll point to history. People can change, both on a macro and a micro scale. For instance, in the 1908 Presidential election, do you really think that gay marriage was an issue? If anyone at that time brought up the subject, I'm certain they'd have been laughed at, if not worse. Fast forward 100 years, and gay marriage is a controversial topic, but one that is taken seriously. Somewhere in the last 100 years, enough people were able to change their perceptions and overcame any lingering prejudice and fear to realize that the rights of marriage should be available to all couples, not just heterosexual couples. People change all the time.

And on a personal note, I believe that change is possible because I, myself, have changed. I used to be terrified of flying. I hated airplanes. I also realized that air travel is the fastest, most convenient means of long-distance travel that we have, so it was going to play a big part in my life. So I learned all I could. I researched accident rates, and discovered that air travel is safe. Then, I started flying. Eventually, after half a dozen flights over three years, I wasn't afraid to fly anymore. Today I actually look forward to that weightless sensation right after takeoff, the one that petrified me as recently as two years ago.

So yes, most definitely, people can change. All it takes is will.

Learn more about this author, Colby Cannon.
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