It is in the study of these changes that the future of personality and
aging lies. Ask not how life’s experiences change personality; ask in -
stead how personality shapes lives and gives order, continuity , and pre -
dictability to the life course, as well as creating or accommodating
change. For the psychologist as well as the aging individual, enduringdispositions form a basis for understanding and guiding emerging lives.Influences of Personality on the Life Course 235