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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can ... - WordPress.com

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Schwartz’s research suggestssometh<strong>in</strong>g important: we can stretchour personalities, but only up to apo<strong>in</strong>t. Our <strong>in</strong>born temperaments <strong>in</strong>fluenceus, regardless <strong>of</strong> the lives we lead.A sizable part <strong>of</strong> who we are is orda<strong>in</strong>edby our genes, by our bra<strong>in</strong>s, byour nervous systems. And yet the elasticitythat Schwartz found <strong>in</strong> some <strong>of</strong> thehigh-reactive teens also suggests theconverse: we have free will and can useit to shape our personalities.<strong>The</strong>se seem like contradictory pr<strong>in</strong>ciples,but they are not. Free will cantake us far, suggests Dr. Schwartz’s research,but it cannot carry us <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>itelybeyond our genetic limits. Bill Gates isnever go<strong>in</strong>g to be Bill Cl<strong>in</strong>ton, no matterhow he polishes his social skills, andBill Cl<strong>in</strong>ton can never be Bill Gates, nomatter how much time he spends alonewith a <strong>com</strong>puter.342/929

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