In the mid 1930s a psychologist named Kurt Lewin came up with an equation that described behavior as a function of a person in their environment; B= ƒ(P,E). Yes it is true that characteristics we are born with do play a large roll in our behavior, but the environment we are in plays just as important a role. For instance, if you want to lose weight but are having a hard time staying on diet, you may think it’s because you weren’t born with as much self-control. Yes, that might be true, but it also might not be. The environment you’re in is just as important as your personality—are you always around snacks, or people who aren’t trying to be healthy? If you want to change yourself and only focus on personality, while maintaining the same environment, you’re almost destined for failure. To better your behavior you need to focus on yourself, and the things/people that surround you.
The science of behavior
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