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posted by on Thursday March 09 2017, @06:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the but-I-still-feel-like-me dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://qz.com/914002/youre-a-completely-different-person-at-14-and-77-the-longest-running-personality-study-ever-has-found/

The study begins with data from a 1950 survey of 1,208 14-year-olds in Scotland. Teachers were asked to use six questionnaires to rate the teenagers on six personality traits: self-confidence, perseverance, stability of moods, conscientiousness, originality, and desire to learn. Together, the results from these questionnaires were amalgamated into a rating for one trait, which was defined as "dependability." More than six decades later, researchers tracked down 635 of the participants, and 174 agreed to repeat testing.

In previous studies covering a decade or two, personalities could be recognized as roughly similar. Not this time!

Full paper here, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5144810/ and a longer review here https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/02/07/longest-ever-personality-study-finds-no-correlation-between-measures-taken-at-age-14-and-age-77/

Next (tongue in cheek) question, is this result unique to Scots, or does it apply to non-miserly groups as well?


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by inertnet on Thursday March 09 2017, @09:25PM (9 children)

    by inertnet (4071) on Thursday March 09 2017, @09:25PM (#477139) Journal

    When I was young I was convinced that the world would be a better place once the old people in charge would be gone.

    Now that I'm that old guy, I'm convinced that most young people don't have a clue.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by dyingtolive on Thursday March 09 2017, @10:59PM (4 children)

    by dyingtolive (952) on Thursday March 09 2017, @10:59PM (#477173)

    Indeed. I went from "don't trust anyone over 30" to "don't trust anyone under 35" a year or two ago. I'm 33. I'm hoping to make it to 35 before that shifts again.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 09 2017, @11:34PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 09 2017, @11:34PM (#477184)

      re-evaluate everything you've learned since your youth. give away your posessions. don't be a selfish twit and see what comes of it.

      • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday March 10 2017, @01:39PM

        by JoeMerchant (3937) on Friday March 10 2017, @01:39PM (#477342)

        Yeah, and give them to me. Plenty of cult leaders make a living out of that pyramid scheme.

        --
        🌻🌻 [google.com]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:16AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:16AM (#477244)

      You're missing the bigger picture: Don't trust anybody. The younger people don't have the experience to see all the edge cases and the older folks have been corrupted by power.

      • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday March 10 2017, @09:40AM

        by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday March 10 2017, @09:40AM (#477303) Homepage
        Corrupted by greed, not power.
        Those whose greed was successful get power easily.
        Those whose greed is unsuccessful help empower the greedy who are gaining power. (e.g. voting for "a man of the people" (where "people" means "people like me").)

        Of course, the greed may be fueled by jealousy.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 2) by coolgopher on Friday March 10 2017, @04:51AM (2 children)

    by coolgopher (1157) on Friday March 10 2017, @04:51AM (#477259)

    As someone approaching the likely half-way mark of life, I'd like to state that I still believe the world would be a better place if the old people in charge would be gone. Even if the young people don't have a clue, they're not steeped in the self-entitled elite-rich-mass-assery screw-the-planet-it's-not-my-problem mindset that the current people in charge seem to be rusted on with.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:15AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:15AM (#477284)

      Up until the day a charismatic and clever individual walks into their office giving them a nice shiny presentation suggesting that no matter the legislation they pass, it won't have any real effect. And that the science is at least somewhat debatable. Of course our young idealist will naturally be critical. That's until the lobbyist then assures them they'll receive millions of dollars in "donations" and a lifelong "consulting" job after their political term is over with a nice salary - you know, just because the company values their expertise and leadership so much... And suddenly all those critiques and doubts give way.

      And this is the problem. It's not that the old people are idiotic or aloof. "Donors" make sure they instill just enough room for cognitive dissonance to break down any sort of ethical idealism they have. I'm increasingly wondering if the solution might not be a clear separation between corporation and state the same way we had a separation between church and state. It wouldn't be easy since corporations do genuinely also have some of the most genuinely qualified people for various political positions, but something needs to be done. Corruption, nepotism, cronyism. These sort of things are what really bring down all great civilizations. And we all think we're immune to such until we face it. Lincoln said it best, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

    • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday March 10 2017, @09:49AM

      by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday March 10 2017, @09:49AM (#477304) Homepage
      As someone about 50% of the way through his most reslilient organ, but probably over >60% of the way through his most vulnerable organ, I agree.

      However, I'd rather Corbyn be leading britain, and Sanders be leading the US, than anyone else at the moment, and they're no spring chickens. There's good and bad in every alas a fair chunk of the bad tends to congretate towards entering politics.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday March 10 2017, @01:34PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Friday March 10 2017, @01:34PM (#477340)

    Both are true.

    --
    🌻🌻 [google.com]