Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?
I think it’s both, but who we are comes first.
Experiences shape us, obviously. They can make us tougher, more cautious, more confident or less trusting. But I don’t think they completely create us. There’s a core personality already there.
At 56, I still think in many of the same ways I did at five. I’m still curious, stubborn, independent, drawn to strange stories and old places, and very clear about what I believe is fair or unfair. Life has changed how I react, and hopefully made me wiser, but it hasn’t changed the basic person underneath.
Maybe experiences don’t make us who we are. Maybe they reveal who was there all along.
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