Growth Mindset of Indian Population

When I was in 2nd standard I was good in swimming, I bagged first prize in my school. My teacher tried to
enroll me for district level competition to which I refused, because I was afraid that I won’t bag the first
prize at that level. The major reason for refusal was fear of failure which can be explained by examining
the mindset of an individual.

New research about our mindset done by Carol Dweck is opening new avenues in education theories,
business management and entrepreneurship. After an intensive research of two decades in psychology
with children and corporates she has come up with a theory of mindsets – fixed and growth. People with
fixed mindsets tend to think that their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents are just fixed traits.
They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and
never look dumb. While people with growth mindset understands that their talent and abilities can be
developed through effort, good guidance and persistence. They believe that everyone can get smarter if
they work at it.

What does this has to do with India and that too with Indian population as a whole? Let’s look at the
two events / arguments raised in recent past. One, Supreme Court’s direction to Centre and State to
scrap quota in super-specialty medical courses for improving the standard of higher education and
thereby… the quality of available medical services. Two, reservations in admissions in higher education
institutions were vehemently opposed based on the notion of ‘dilution of quality’ of the higher
education institutions. What do these two scenarios indicate and imply when looked through prism of
fixed & growth mindset.

If one thinks through the prism of fixed mindset these arguments looks coherent. It clearly implies that
the final skills of the graduates from higher education institutions depend on their fixed intelligence,
abilities and talents. If one is to dilute the input of these abilities through caste based reservations
(affirmative action) then the final output expertise of the graduates will fall. But, on the other hand if we
look it from a growth mindset prism, these arguments points towards incapability of the higher
education institutions which are unable to provide guidance to the students with lesser intellect. They
also undermine the impact of 2/3/4 years of (high quality) education and efforts of the students.

India is so obsessed and rooted in fixed mindset that it is evident in every walk of life and which is taught
right from early developmental phases of a child. A child is applauded for his talent and final results, no
one cares or appreciates his efforts involved, and they are encouraged to document their talent rather
than developing it. Efforts are looked down upon and carry social stigma, thus they get discouraged.
Everyone strives to carry the sense of being smart and avoids failures at all cost.

The fixed mindset construct of Indian society is responsible to the perpetuation of reservation system,
social exclusion of and discrimination against the reserved category students and suicidal deaths in
higher education institutions. Belief of having a fixed set of traits imposes an inferiority complex
reserved category students and superiority complex in the unreserved students. Same belief is
responsible for comparison on the basis of talent and ability and the prestige attached to it. Maintaining
the prestige and infallibility becomes only aim of a student, failing to do so leads to drastic decisions of
suicide. The solution lies in learning and imparting growth mindset to the adults and students.
According to Dweck, growth mindset can be taught and adopted at any age. It can be developed in the
school going students by praising their efforts involved in an achievement rather than achievement
itself. The effort should get primacy rather than the final outcome which would result in belief of
malleable intelligence and talent which could be increased by efforts and persistence. Failure will thus
become just another opportunity to develop and will help in inculcating work ethic rather than
prevalent result-at-any-cost ethic. This belief of talent and intelligence can be improved by persistence
and effort can work wonders in alleviating the ills from Indian society.

This belief will infuse confidence in the reserved student gaining education in higher education system
that if he works hard and keeps persistence then he can compete with the best and he no longer needs
reservation in further endeavors. If taught in schools it will help the kids to embrace challenges, learn
from criticisms and persist during the obstacles. Her research also shows that the students, corporates
and adults with growth mindset perform far better than their contemporaries with fixed mindset.

Just imagine a scenario where efforts are being praised, the path is made important and the result
irrelevant. Same thing is also told to us by our BhagwadGeeta ‘Karmanye Wadhikarasye Ma phaleshu
Kadachana’ it means keep doing on your karma and don’t expect the results of it. The result of Dweck’s
research is the same but she is showing us the path to achieve this through believing that the
intelligence, abilities and talent can be developed through efforts, persistence and embracing
challenges. I would end up with Dweck’s inspirational lines – view you adopt for yourself profoundly
affects the way you lead your life.