Book Review: Personality Isn't Permanent by Benjamin Hardy
Benjamin Hardy’s new book sets the record straight and gives you the tools to answer the great question: “Who will you be?”
There are several books I put in the “required reading” category when it comes to developing myself. It’s not rare to find a good book, but it is rare to find one that goes immediately into the must-read list….and that I also immediately recommend to my family and friends.
For that reason, I wasn’t expecting a new addition to my “elite + required” list when I agreed to read an advance copy of Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book. It’s called Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free From Self Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story
This book can make your life better immediately, whether you are a parent, teacher, CEO, student or simply aspiring to be a good human. I believe it can and should be read by everyone.
Many books on self-development quickly reach a point where the scientific research becomes blurry. Some take this as a jumping off point into the mystical in a way that can distract from the message for many readers. Hardy, on the other hand, keeps the research front and center along with contextual analysis. He provides a practical and enjoyable look at the latest research into how we make decisions and shape our own behaviors—usually without realizing it.
“ Purpose trumps personality.”
The book starts by dismantling the popular myths that keep people from taking ownership of their identity. Personality isn’t what you think it is.
One of the most impactful myths is that it is a fixed thing that can be tested or labeled. I expect this research to get some well-earned attention in the press, as Hardy lays out the facts to make a compelling case that it is we ourselves who continually create and recreate our personalities- and that the industry around personality testing is largely snake oil.
The entire book is compelling and well organized. As I read through, I had the sense that this was written not for the author, as so many books are, but for the reader.
That wasn’t surprising in and of itself—Hardy’s been transparent about his goal and ongoing work to perfect his writing skills; He writes regularly about that pursuit, psychology, and related topics on Medium.com, where he’s developed into the most-read writer on the platform.
““Your personality isn’t innate and unchanging. It’s not your past, and it’s definitely not the “real” and “authentic” you.””
What is surprising is how deeply this book digs into core ideas about who we believe we are, while still being an enjoyable read. It’s one thing to say “you need goals” and “you need a vision” but quite another to lay out the way these concepts connect like dominoes to shape our behavior. Layer on a meaningful framework you can put immediately into action and the list of books that check all of these boxes gets smaller.
The structure of the book helps connect the dots. Each chapter starts with a story that’s easy to remember and is followed by a concise summary of the implications. My favorite part is that there are questions immediately asked after that summary. These are ideas and concepts meant to inspire action and show you how to apply the learning immediately. A conclusion wraps each chapter up.
The effectiveness of this format probably played a role in my enjoyment. It definitely helped me keep moving through things without losing track of the details or get too fatigued.
The first portion of the book felt similar to a music lesson where bad technique or bad habits are systematically removed by replacing them with good habits, because as soon as you get through myths, you learn to recognize and use the levers you have available. They are laid out in a way that helps you see the connections. And you learn how to make the processes easy and put many things on autopilot.
Where many books focus simply on delivering research with a few superficial recommendations, it’s evident (and refreshing) that everything comes from the marriage of research and practice
Another element I found refreshing is the tone. Hardy’s is that of someone walking you through a journey, pointing out the features, and sharing some of his own favorite discoveries. This is a departure from books that are written as overt sales pitches for trademarked methodologies.
For me, the proof is always whether I can get immediate impact. A few of the things I noticed as a result of going through the prompts:
Almost daily, I now find a way to be an empathetic witness for my family and teammates when I might normally talk or move to the next thing.
I dusted off and freshened my version of the “future me” and kept it front and center—this is a great technique to control mindset and emotion.
I put three habits in place that I was overdue to install.
This is a book I’ll enjoy coming back to—and one I happily recommend.
You can find it on Amazon
(PS we do not earn commissions on any sales. )