Is there a difference between changing yourself and improving yourself?

[kisaragi5TH]

I feel that improving is taking certain attributes and qualities you may already have and just sharpening them up and bringing those things out in a positive and productive way.

i feel that change is much more for things that need dire attention. if a guy harbors negative feelings towards women as a whole then I feel he must find a way to change those feelings into positive ones. if a person has anxiety towards something or a fear, then they will need to try to change those feelings into something that will make that fear or anxiety go away.

for myself I'm always interesting in finding ways to improve my life for the better, and bring my best qualities out into the forefront in various aspects of life. I do feel that I have some anxieties towards certain things and I would like to change though.

what about you? do you feel that change and improve are different? or are they the same? why? what things you are changing and improving about yourself?

Yes, change and improvement are different

No, they are the same thing

[Anonymous]

I feel they both mean change, however the difference, for me, is that "self improvement" suggests a change for the better, while "change" is generic, and can be good, bad, or neutral. So... yeah, to me they're a little different. They're both a change, but one is more specific.

I'm trying to improve my grammar, and trying to get back to being a little more fit. Both are things I've been working on for a couple years. My grammar still sucks. One of the ways I've changed, is I've gotten a lot less social. Possibly even antisocial. I'm working to fix that.

See? Change and improvement.

[Opinion Owner]

Hah! Apparently Distant and I had the same idea. Only he decided to pull out a dictionary.

[kovalinkie19]

Well they sort of are two different things. Changing yourself does not imply the improving of ones self. Meanwhile improving is something aimed at making yourself either a better person, more desirable, etc..

For example dying your hair is a change while working on having more patience is improving.

[ForeverYours39]

Changing yourself can mean you changed your hair, got yourself a better job, or maybe you change your habits and start doing drugs.. So.. changing yourself can be good, neutral, or very bad. On the other hand, improving yourself means bettering yourself; therefore, it can only be positive. So, yes, they are different. Similar but different.

[Anonymous]

Slightly different. Change is like if you're a preppy type turning goth. Improvement is being even more preppy

[snowangle]

The way I see it, all improvements are changes, but not all changes are improvements.

[crystallinegreen]

This. ^^

[Distant]

Change:

Verb - Make or become different: "a proposal to change the law"; "beginning to change from green to gold".

Noun - The act or instance of making or becoming different.

Improve:

Verb - Make or become better: "efforts to improve relations with China"; "improved rail links"; "his condition improved".

While technically, improve IS change, they are fundamentally different.

[benos4752]

To me, I always viewed "changing yourself" as less organic. Like you're hiding who you really are and putting on a front.

Whereas improving, you've made changes in your life (cut out toxic friends, bought a better wardrobe, gone to the gym, etc) that allow you to grow and become the "best possible you".

Again, that's just my own, personal definition.

[Anonymous]

Changing is not necessarily improving.

Improving does not necessarily mean changing - it could mean refining.

[qmw-k]

The connotation of the words.

"Change" brings a connotation of "destroy and rebuild."

"Improve" brings a connotation of "Fix."

They are essentially the same thing if you ask me. But I'm a small percentage.