Other people’s personalities seem stable to us, however, for a different reason: we tend to interact with most people within a narrow range of contexts. We might know a colleague solely at work, for example—not at home with his family. Or we go out shopping and drinking with a friend on weekends, but never see her in the boardroom. We spend time with our children at home, but rarely see them at school or with their friends. Another reason people’s behavior feels trait-like is that you are a part of their context. Your boss might think you are a timid person when you know that you are only
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