People can change, but their past matters. It's not one or the other. We can learn from mistakes and become better people. Things like therapy and life experiences can help us change a lot. We're not stuck being who we were. But, our past still affects us. Bad things that happened can leave lasting effects, even if we're trying to get better. Good things also shape us. So, the best way to see it is that our past is part of who we are, but it doesn't completely control our future. We can use our past to grow and become different, but we can't just forget it.