To what extent can a person really change?

Drink a cup of coffee, have you not just then changed?

Whip a child for taking a cookie from the jar. Will not the child ask next time?

Reward a infant for babbling baabaa when you utter baby. Does the child not learn language.

However, if your asking if a person can become someone else at will. It can be said that every moment that passes you become someone new. Every experience in your life will give you feedback in new situations thus altering your decisions and changing who you are. Much of the feedback is stored away to enable the individual to easily make future decisions. Every time a choice compliments a previous choice it becomes that much more likely you will make that same choice again. However, every time a choice contradicts a prior choice of the same token do you not change? Does the person not alter the type of choices he once would of made in light of a new understanding. If this is done at will by a self, well I am not sure if a self or will even exist. Still, humans do change in many respects.

An individual has to face the fact that they want to change. Being aware of the kind of person you is the key factor, because you are confronted and you face the life you live. Now, at any point anything can happen where you realize that you want to something different in your life or you're faced with an event that makes you want to change your attitude or mentality. "Give your mind silence, it's a powerful tool'... changing who you are is possible, it's about being disciplined and open to new possibilities.