Gary Hayden used to put people in pigeonholes when he was young. He realises now that labelling people that way is all nonsense. Humans are complex, we should not be labelled and we have the capacity to change ourselves when exposed to new and conducive circumstances. Having exposed himself to long-distance walking which he thought he dislikes, he soon found himself enjoying long walks in the countryside. Quoting Prof Michael Puett in his book, The Path: A New Way To Think About Everything, "Every person has many different and often contradictory emotional dispositions, desires and ways of responding to the world."

Read the full article on http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/we-have-the-capacity-to-change-ourselves

Gary Hayden is a philosophy and science writer. His new book, Walking With Plato, is out at major bookshops here.