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Personality Isn't Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Benjamin Hardy (Author), Sean Pratt (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,932 ratings
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Psychologist and best-selling author Benjamin Hardy, PhD, debunks the pervasive myths about personality that prevent us from learning - and provides bold strategies for personal transformation.

In Personality Isn’t Permanent, Dr. Benjamin Hardy draws on psychological research to demolish the popular misconception that personality - a person’s consistent attitudes and behaviors - is innate and unchanging. Hardy liberates us from the limiting belief that our “true selves” are to be discovered and shows how we can intentionally create our desired selves and achieve amazing goals instead. He offers practical, science-based advice to for personal-reinvention, including:

  • Why personality tests such as Myers-Briggs and Enneagram are not only psychologically destructive, but are no more scientific than horoscopes
  • Why you should never be the “former” anything - because defining yourself by your past successes is just as damaging to growth as being haunted by past failures
  • How to design your current identity based on your desired future self and make decisions here and now through your new identity
  • How to reframe traumatic and painful experiences into a fresh narrative supporting your future success
  • How to become confident enough to define your own life’s purpose
  • How to create a network of “empathetic witnesses” who actively encourage you through the highs and lows of extreme growth
  • How to enhance your subconscious to overcome addictions and limiting patterns
  • How redesign your environment to pull you toward your future, rather than keep you stuck in the past
  • How to tap into what psychologists call “pull motivation” by narrowing your focus on a single, definable, and compelling outcome

The audiobook includes true stories of intentional self-transformation - such as Vanessa O’Brien, who quit her corporate job and set the Guinness World Record for a woman climbing the highest peak on every continent in the fastest time; Andre Norman, who became a Harvard fellow after serving a 14-year prison sentence; Ken Arlen, who instantly quit smoking by changing his identity narrative; and Hardy himself, who transcended his childhood in a broken home, surrounded by issues of addiction and mental illness, to earn his PhD and build a happy family.

Filled with strategies for reframing your past and designing your future, Personality Isn’t Permanent is a guide to breaking free from the past and becoming the person you want to be.

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  1. Listening Length
    7 hours and 16 minutes
  2. Author
    Benjamin Hardy
  3. Narrator
    Sean Pratt
  4. Audible release date
    June 16, 2020
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B08157LXPY
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next slide of product details
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Product details

Listening Length 7 hours and 16 minutes
Author Benjamin Hardy
Narrator Sean Pratt
Audible.com Release Date June 16, 2020
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08157LXPY
Best Sellers Rank #16,189 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#131 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
#225 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement (Audible Books & Originals)
#415 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement (Books)

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,932 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book incredible, motivational, and empowering. They also say it's easy to read, understand, and apply. Readers describe the writing as clear, straightforward, and concise. They mention the book provides actionable steps to become who they want to be.

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InsightEase of readingActionable
108 customers mention "Insight"108 positive0 negative

Customers find the book incredible, motivational, and empowering. They say it helps them change their perspective on the past and is packed with wisdom. Readers also mention the book makes them think really hard about what they want, who they are, and why.

"...and disciplined writing make the material easy to absorb and memorable...." Read more

"...Personality Isn't Permanent is a very motivational read! I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in personal development and growth." Read more

"...It will help you set clear goals that you're excited about, and get you out of your own way so you can live the life of your dreams...." Read more

"...you should know its similar to his other words; nevertheless, still inspiring and quick read." Read more

45 customers mention "Ease of reading"45 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, understand, and put into use. They say it's clear, straightforward, and breaks many myths. Readers also appreciate the concise method of writing and the simple message.

"Clear reasoning and disciplined writing make the material easy to absorb and memorable...." Read more

"...This is very helpful for the reader to apply what they're learning as they read the book...." Read more

"Definitely rereading it! Clear structure, easy to follow through the practices with effective journal prompts. So thankful I came across this book😍..." Read more

"...Dr. Hardy really invites us to write our thoughts, process our traumas, and imagine our future self and write about it...." Read more

12 customers mention "Actionable"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book actionable, thought-provoking, and well-written. They appreciate the insightful steps to becoming who they want to be. Readers also mention the book is eye-opening and enabling action.

"...They are actionable and put you on track to realize your future self...." Read more

"...clearly and concisely drives to the point and left me with real, actionable steps I can take to define and realize a future vision of myself...." Read more

"...Dr. Hardy’s writing style which is well written and an easy and actionable read...." Read more

"...It synthesized in a great actionable manner. Simply reading this book isn’t enough, you need to also complete the questions (the ‘workbook’ section)...." Read more

You can create your life - here’s how
5 out of 5 stars
You can create your life - here’s how
Saying “it’ll change your life” is cliche, but... if you want to change who you are and keep changing who you’re becoming, this book is for you. It’s a game changer.It’s not a single moment or paragraph or book that changes your life, but intentional action towards the person you’ve DECIDED to be.You can change your direction, your motivation, your desire, your personality, your health, everything.It’s all a choice. Everything you want is a decision and Dr. Hardy shows you how to do it in this book. It’s not just educational. It’s not a bunch of psychology-speak. It’s easy to read, easy to understand, easy to put into use. Choose. Plan. Act.I love the bullets at the end of each section for recapping and journaling what I want to think about, decide, and do.Don’t read this book then set it down. Do the steps! Write down the answers to the questions. I’m reading it all the way through, then going back, reading it again, and do the journaling prompts. But I already feel myself shifting from my old self to my new self. It’s not hard, but you have to do the work.Thank you for writing this book. It’s mind blowing, but also useful. Thank you for giving me work I can do to take action and make real change. I could underline every sentence. I’ll definitely read it multiple times, probably once a year. Thank you!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Kent
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy flow, rich content
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024
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Clear reasoning and disciplined writing make the material easy to absorb and memorable. Following the thought progression made me alert to my own improvement resulting from what I was reading. It worked!
One person found this helpful
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Kelly Schuknecht
5.0 out of 5 stars Very motivational!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021
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This was the absolute best book I could have picked to kick off a new year!

I actually love personality tests. We've done the DiSC and Kolbe assessments at my work. I think they're really helpful in getting to know yourself better and how you work with other people.

But, in his book, Personality Isn't Permanent, Benjamin Hardy definitely makes you think differently about those kinds of assessments. Personality tests can be limiting, and it's important not to let them prevent you from creating the life you are meant to live.

“When you decide who you’ll be and the life you’ll live, you can have anything you truly want. You can become an outlier. You can have experiences that not only shock other people but shock yourself ”

Hardy focuses a lot on "trauma" which, to be honest, I found a little hard to get my head around. We tend to think of trauma as major incidents that cause PTSD. However, what he means by trauma is: failures and missed opportunities. It can be a much smaller scale -- anytime someone or something made you feel bad about something that now limits you in some way.

He gives the example of a woman whose teacher corrected her drawing something like 40 years ago, and this incident stuck with her her entire life. It made her feel like she was not capable of creating art and so she never pursued it, despite a deep inner desire to illustrate children's books.

Throughout the book, I had to keep thinking about what trauma may have occurred to me that could be holding me back in some way. I realized public speaking is probably my thing. There wasn't a specific incident of a person making me feel bad, it's just a fear of mine. I shy away from it. "I'm not good at public speaking," is an excuse I tell myself and others. My personality tests confirm that this is not one of my strong suits. I am a heads-down, behind the scenes kind of worker, not an Influencer (on the DiSC scale). If public speaking were necessary for growth in my career, then this is the type of self-limiting belief that would hold me back from becoming who I'm truly meant to be.

Hardy talks a lot about journaling:

“Your journal is a brilliant place to actively convince yourself, emotionally, that what you want is already yours—you influence yourself through strategic communication”

In every chapter, he provides self-reflective questions to answer in your journal. This is very helpful for the reader to apply what they're learning as they read the book.

Personality Isn't Permanent is a very motivational read! I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in personal development and growth.
17 people found this helpful
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smf
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Benjamin Hardy book
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2024
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I own and have read all of Dr. Benjamin Hardy's books, and this is my favorite one. If you are interested in personal growth and development, I highly recommend reading this book annually. It will help you set clear goals that you're excited about, and get you out of your own way so you can live the life of your dreams.

We don't realize how detrimental unresolved trauma can be and that it can actually stunt our growth. Dr. Hardy explains, in the simplest of terms, how to go about redefining the meaning of past mistakes and emotionally traumatic experiences. I have never read another book that helped me to understand how to go about doing this, before now.

The reality is, our personalities are not fixed. We can change. We can break free from negative thought patterns that keep us locked into worry and rumination, and we can have anything we want in life if we are willing to put forth the effort into consciously creating a powerful vision for the future. We can be whoever we want to be.

Every time I read a book by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, I learn something new. I buy and read the books he recommends, and I immediately apply what makes sense under the circumstances in my own life. This is the author all of us "self-help" junkies have needed for many years. I am eternally grateful for the wisdom I have gleaned from this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Mo Man
4.0 out of 5 stars Same old benjamin hardy book
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
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Its a mish mash of his blog posts, youtube videos and other books. Nothing wrong with that but petty redundant ideas.

Going in you should know its similar to his other words; nevertheless, still inspiring and quick read.
One person found this helpful
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DMM
5.0 out of 5 stars Good insights
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024
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Worth the read. Other reviewers summarized this well enough for me to purchase, so I echo their sentiment.
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NJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Loveee this book!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
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Definitely rereading it! Clear structure, easy to follow through the practices with effective journal prompts. So thankful I came across this book😍
One person found this helpful
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CapnKent
5.0 out of 5 stars Helping to live better
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
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Hardy has walked the talk. He recommends powerful action items. It's going to take effort but it is worth it!
One person found this helpful
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Bud Panesar
5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible read
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
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This book is incredibly transformational. The author has provided insight, inspiration and transformation all in one package.

If you’re interested in learning about yourself, what makes you tick and how to change for the better then this is the book for you.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Patricia
5.0 out of 5 stars Very insightful, definitely recommend!
Reviewed in Canada on October 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I struggle with multiple beliefs in terms to whether I am lazy, depressed, or simply carry trauma in my life that shaped me to the person I’ve become.

This book has brought clarity and understanding, in my beliefs, and has helped me reflect on the fixed mindset. I am able to perceive life and myself in a lot more clarity based on action steps given in this book. I would and will strongly recommend this book to those who believe they struggle with labels, past history, and perceived life events that hold great control and meaning to their very life. I borrowed this book from the library and insisted on ordering a copy of my own, after just reading 2 chapters into the book. The author offers insight on topics that hold a person back in their history, and based on labels created by society. This has been eye opening and humbling to experience a fresh dimension on thought processing as well as beliefs created.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
Reviewed in India on January 7, 2023
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This book helped me understand that one does not need to live their old self...Personality can be changed!!

Thank you, Benjamin for this beautiful revelation!
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Meena
5.0 out of 5 stars Some Books are A life Long investment !!
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on October 10, 2021
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I've read Benjamin Hardy's articles for a long time, and they are always very useful and have practical suggestions to follow.
The book doesn't disappoint you and is brilliantly written.
Fresh perspective about Personality tests and examples of how personalities is something that can be changed, for the better. So we aren't stuck with fear of our past or genes and history repeating itself.
Useful if you use it well.
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Ellie Sand
5.0 out of 5 stars How to become your ideal self
Reviewed in Mexico on July 29, 2020
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Muy buen libro, explica el por qué y el cómo de la personalidad, con estrategias concretas para modificarla de acuerdo a tus metas o tu 'yo ideal'. Benjamin Hardy tiene bastante claros los principios, juntando lo que ha aprendido sobre la fuerza de voluntad con la personalidad, es el mejor libro que pude haber elegido.
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This is a great book, it explains the why's and the how's of personality, with concrete strategies to change it according to your goals or your 'ideal self.' Benjamin Hardy has these principles pretty clear, combining what he had learned about willpower and personality, it is the best book I could've picked.
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Carina Cardoso
5.0 out of 5 stars Liberdade para ser quem você quiser
Reviewed in Brazil on June 19, 2020
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Tive a felicidade de ter acesso ao livro antes mesmo de seu lançamento. Foi uma experiência tão transformadora que decidi comprá-lo mesmo assim!
Usei como uma espécie de terapia: todos os dias eu lia uma parte do livro, meditava sobre os questionamentos que são propostos e escrevia em meu Journal o resultado. Hoje, quando olho para trás, vejo quanto progresso fui capaz de fazer: desapeguei da casa de minha mãe, dei início a um novo trabalho e passei a me dedicar a um projeto de ativismo que estava há anos na gaveta.
Você pode ser quem você quiser, mas este livro serve como um mapa do seu caminho. Se você realmente deseja alcançar resultados, então precisa saber como chegar onde quer.
Além disso, o estilo de escrita do Benjamin, a despeito desse PhD logo após seu nome, é fácil e muito gostoso de absorver.
Recomendo muito!
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Carina Cardoso
5.0 out of 5 stars Liberdade para ser quem você quiser
Reviewed in Brazil on June 19, 2020
Tive a felicidade de ter acesso ao livro antes mesmo de seu lançamento. Foi uma experiência tão transformadora que decidi comprá-lo mesmo assim!
Usei como uma espécie de terapia: todos os dias eu lia uma parte do livro, meditava sobre os questionamentos que são propostos e escrevia em meu Journal o resultado. Hoje, quando olho para trás, vejo quanto progresso fui capaz de fazer: desapeguei da casa de minha mãe, dei início a um novo trabalho e passei a me dedicar a um projeto de ativismo que estava há anos na gaveta.
Você pode ser quem você quiser, mas este livro serve como um mapa do seu caminho. Se você realmente deseja alcançar resultados, então precisa saber como chegar onde quer.
Além disso, o estilo de escrita do Benjamin, a despeito desse PhD logo após seu nome, é fácil e muito gostoso de absorver.
Recomendo muito!
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13 people found this helpful
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