Is it really possible to change your entire personality in a year? An award-winning journalist experiments with her own personality to find out—and reveals the science behind lasting change in this “hugely readable, deeply researched, and often hilarious” (Oliver Burkeman, bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks) book.In recent years, Olga Khazan had been spiraling toward an existential crisis. Though she treasured her loving relationship and her dream job, her neurotic personality often left her snatching dissatisfaction from the jaws of happiness. While her overachieving had always been a professional asset, Olga lately felt like her brittle disposition could shatter under the weight of just one more thing—but could she really change her entire personality? Research shows that you can alter your personality traits by behaving in ways that align with the kind of person you’d like to be—a process that can make you happier, healthier, and more successful. In Me, But Better, Olga embarks on an experiment to see whether it’s possible to go from dwelling in dread to “radiating joy.” For one year, Olga reluctantly clicked “yes” on a bucket list of new experiences—from meditation to improv to sailing—that forced her to at least act happy. With a skeptic’s eye, Olga brings you on her journey through the science of personality, presenting evidence-backed techniques to help you change your mind for the better. “Hilarious, honest, and packed with cutting-edge research” (Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author), Me, But Better offers a probing inquiry into what it means to live a fulfilling life, and how you can keep diving into change, no matter how uncomfortable it feels.
