LenaReed

Fixedvs.Growthmindset

Itisnosecretthathavingacertainmindsettowardsasituationcaneithermakeorbreak
theoutcome,butwhatyoumightnothaveknownisthattherearetwomainmindsetsthathave
beenresearchedanddefinedbyprofessionals.Thesetwodifferentwaysofthinkingcanform
andshapethewaywetacklelifeandtheobstaclesaroundus,andmayevenbethedifference
betweengivingupandsucceedingbeyondexpectation.Itsallyourchoice,andthereareways
tochangethewayyouthink,youjusthavetotakethefirststepandrecognizetheywayyour
brainwastaughttothink.

Fixedvs.Growthmindsetsarethetwodifferentmindsetsthatwechoosetohave.
Eachmindsetshapesthewayweapproachlifeanditsobstacles.Mindset:Thenew
psychologyofsuccessisabookwrittenbypsychologistCarolDweck,whoisresponsiblefor
theworkthatstemsthisunderstandingofourminds.Init,sheexplainshowthepowerofour
beliefs,bothconsciousandunconscious,andhowchangingeventhesimplestofthemcan
haveprofoundimpactonnearlyeveryaspectofourlives.Inafixedmindset,theonemostofus
aretaughtandgrownuptothinklike,assumesthatourcharacter,intelligence,andcreative
abilitiesarepredeterminedandwecantchangethemmuchmorethanwhatweaccomplishas
wegrowup.Avoidingfailuresandstrivingforsuccessistheonlywayofmaintainingoursense
offeelingsmartorskilled.Ontheotherhandinagrowthmindset,thrivingonchallengesand
seeingfailureasevidenceforgrowthandforextendingourabilitiesishowsuccessisexceeded.

Forexample:Inafixedmindset,youwouldbelieveShesanaturalbornsingerorIm
justnogoodatdancing.Inagrowthmindset,youbelieveAnyonecanbegoodatanything.
Skillcomesonlyfrompractice.Thisgivesabetterunderstandingofthecontrastingmindsets
andthepositiveoutlookagrowthmindsethascomparedtoafixedone.Moreexamples:
Ina
fixedmindset,failuresdefineyou.Inagrowthmindset,failuresaretemporarysetbacks.By
distinctlyseparatingthesetwowaysofthinking,itbecomesmoreclearofthewayyouneedto
aimyourthoughtsinordertobetteryourselfandyourapproachtolife.

ThereisawebsitethatcontainsallinformationontheFixedVs.Growthmindsets,and
theoriginofthistheoryandfurtherdetailsaboutit.ThiswebsiteisthemainwebsiteforCarol
Dweck'stheoryandbook.Itincludesdetailedinformationonthedefinitionofmindsetandwhy
havingtherightoneissoimportant.Italsoincludeshowmindsetaffectsyoursuccess,and
howhavingagrowthmindsetcanallowyoutodomorethanyoueverimaginedyoucould.It
alsohasaquizincludedthatyoucantaketotestyourcurrentmindset,andbasedonthat,give
youinformationandstepstotakeinordertochangeitandbecomemorecontentand
successfulinlife.Additionally,itgivesmoreinformationonCarolDweckherselfandwhat
inspiredhertowritethisbookandexpandonthistheory.

Adiagramisincludedinanexplanationaboutthesetwomindsetstobettercontrastthe
twowaysofthinking.Itseparatesthetwoonhowthemindencountersandactsuponthe
differentlifesituationsbasedonwhichmindsetisused.ItisbasedmostlyonDweck'stheory
andtheinformationinherbook.Italsoincludesastudydoneoncollegestudentstestingher
theorythatagrowthmindsethasamoresuccessfuloutcomeontasksperformed.Itwasa
nonverbalIQtest,andtwodifferenttypesofpraisewereoffered.Forsome,theirabilitieswere
rewarded,andothers,fortheireffort.Results:
Praisingthestudentsfortheirabilitypushed
themrightintothefixedmindset,showingallsignsofitinthenextstepoftheprocedure.When
theresearchersofferedthemachoice,theyrefusedtoundergoachallengingnewtaskthey
couldlearnfrom.Theyrejectedanythingthatcouldpossiblyexposetheirweaknessesandcall
theirtalentintoquestion.Incontrast,90percentofthestudentspraisedfortheireffortwantedto
takethechallengingnewtasktheycouldlearnfrom.Fromthisresearch,itprovesthatpraising
astudentontheireffort,insteadoftheiraccomplishments,leadstoahigherdesiretocontinue
tryingtofindnewwaysofcompletingthetask,ratherthanjustgivingup.Therefore,ifstudents
arebroughtupbeingtaughtbythosewithagrowthmindsetatuse,itismorelikelymore
studentswillgivegreatermorepersistenteffortthanthosewhoaretaughttobelievefailure
shouldbepunishable.

InanarticlewrittenbyStanfordUniversityNewsServices,itgivesanoutlineofDwecks
lifeandwhatinspiredhertoexpandonthistheory.Itissaidthefirstmajorexperiencethat
openedhereyestothiswaswhenher6thgradeteacherseatedherstudentsintheroombased
ontheirIQ.Thegirlsandboyswhodidn'thavethehighestIQintheclasswerenotallowedto
carrytheflagduringassemblyorevenwashtheblackboard.Shesaid"Sheletitbeknownthat
IQforherwastheultimatemeasureofyourintelligenceandyourcharacter,sothestudents
whohadthebestseatswerealwaysscaredoftakinganothertestandnotbeingatthetop
anymore."Thissparkedherideathatthosestudentswhoweredeemednotgoodenoughwere
taughttolimitthemselvesandwhattheywouldattemptbasedontheirtalents,whichwas
ultimatelythefixedmindsetthatlimitedonesabilities.

AlthoughmanythatbelieveinDweck'sstudy,somedisagree.Thereisanarticlewritten
byaprofessorthatdisagreeswithDweck'stheoryofthegrowthmindset.Init,itstatesthata
growthmindsetwontworkbecauseitonlyhasa.19percenteffectrate.Itstatesthattheonly
realeffectscomefromarateof.40orhigher.Meaningtheauthorofthisarticledoubtsthatthis
theoryofchangingmindsetsissuccessfulenoughtoprovearealdifferenceinsocietyasa
whole.Although,itdoesagreethatwemustmoveawayfromafixedmindset,andofferssteps
teachersshouldtakeinordertodoso,suchas:lesstesting,morefeedback,flexiblegrouping,
differentquestioning,andforthemtostoptalkingsomuch.

Withallopinionsaside,havingaFixedorGrowthmindsetisinnooneelsescontrolbut
yours.Youcanshapethewayyoutrainyourbraintooutlooksituations,andwiththat,greatly
altertheoutcomessimplyusingthepowerofyourbrain.Itmaybehardatfirst,butifyoumake
therightstepsandcanrecognizethepositivevs.negativewaysofthinking,thesechangescan
makeyourlifetransformbeforeyoureyes.Dweckstheoryhaschangedthewaypeopleview

theirlifeandthechallengesinit,anditcandothesameforyou.Justtakethefirststep.
Recognizethepowerofyourmind,andusethattoteachnotonlyyourselfbutothersthatthe
limitationsyouhaveonyourselfareonlyanillusion,andyoureallycandoanythingyouputyour
mindto.