Mindset, by Carol Dweck

 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success 

By Carol S. Dweck  

Preview 

Can our successes and failures be rooted in our minds? Carol Dweck helps us understand why what we believe in can make all the difference! How we respond to and cope with failure marks the difference between mediocre and extraordinary.  

About the Author 

Carol S. Dweck is one of the world's leading researchers in personality, social psychology, and developmental psychology. Her scholarly book Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development was named Book of the Year by World Education Fellowship. She is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.  

 

The Big Idea: The right mindset can make all the difference 

Do you believe that your intelligence is a fixed quantity? Do you think that no matter how much effort you make, you will never get better at something if you do not have the aptitude for it? 

As it turns out, what you believe about yourself, can shape the way you respond to and cope with situations. Given that adverse conditions generally shape the direction of our lives, the people who can cope with adversity better are the ones who go on to lead happier and more successful lives. 

Dweck divides people into two types. Those with a fixed mindset and those with a growth mindset. The former type believes in crucial traits of intelligence, personality, and character, as unchangeable. The latter think that all these traits can change and become better with time and effort. 

It is not difficult to understand which mindset will bring more peace, happiness, and success in a person's life.  

After reading this quid, you will: 

1. Realize the importance of mindsets 
2. Learn how to increase one's abilities and intelligence. 
3. Learn what made Michael Jordan into the player he became 
4. Understand how to turn one's fixed mindset into a growth mindset.   

 

 

The tale of two mindsets 

Is intelligence like the ten commandments of the Bible? Is it set in stone? Does an intelligent child become an intelligent adult, and can a less intelligent child ever catch up?  

Some people believe that just like our physical traits like height and body type, intelligence and other mental characteristics are also immutable and are genetically inherited.  

On the other hand, some people believe that these mental traits can be improved and sharpened and are not in fixed amounts "granted" to us at birth. 

The former types are the ones who have a fixed mindset. These people look at things in black and white and validate their accomplishments against an external benchmark. Based on the result of their endeavors, they decide whether they have succeeded or failed, and in either case, do not believe that they could have done any better. Instead of trying again and putting in more effort, they refuse to try again. Their life is based on "acceptance" or "rejection."  

The latter kinds of people have a growth mindset. These people are not afraid of challenges and believe that they can get better. They can acquire new skills and improve upon their previous performances. Unlike the people with a fixed mindset, these people place importance on effort and engagement. They are more likely to lead fulfilling lives. 

The inventor of the IQ test, Alfred Binet, believed that education, training, and a systematic approach could sharpen intelligence. While he did not deny that there were individual differences between the levels of intelligence of people, he maintained that such differences were not necessarily permanent and did not obstruct the development of brainpower. 

Your potential is unknowable. Efforts can lead to self-improvement 

Natural ability and the efforts put in drive success and accomplishment. Several accomplished people were seemingly lone rangers, and their works were the work of a genius who just had it made the moment they were born. This cannot be farther from the truth. 

One of the great American painters, Jackson Pollock, is thought to have been of ordinary talent when he was young. However, he loved art, and with his devotion and unwavering zeal, he kept learning more and more and kept getting better. His example is a case in the importance of focused efforts in accomplishment and success. It is ability and perseverance together which fashion a potion of achievement. 

Thomas Edison, known as the Wizard of Menlo Park, was an ordinary child who was curious enough to teach himself the workings and concepts of science. His utmost devotion and love for science led him to keep experimenting and not be deterred by the numerous failures he encountered. His inventions were not sudden; they resulted from a long-drawn process of application and effort that finally bore fruit. 

Often school teachers believe that they cannot really influence the intellectual development of children beyond their natural abilities. Studies have shown that approaching teaching with a growth mindset can develop intelligence in children. A student who sucks at maths need not always suck at it. They can be trained with the right tools and become better. 

Of course, all this does not mean that anyone can become a Mozart or a Kasparov if trained correctly. However, most people can do a whole lot better than they think. The truth is that the potential of any human being is unknowable. Focused efforts can accomplish seemingly impossible things. 

Champions and great leaders have a growth mindset 

No matter how much we pretend to emphasize self-improvement and individual efforts, we still prize natural talent over hard work. We see Roger Federer, and we see natural talent. He is effortless and moves on the court with so much natural elegance. What is invisible is the efforts he puts into his tennis. 

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team and did not make it to the College he wanted to play for. His initial foray into the NBA was unsuccessful, with two teams rejecting him. All such failures for someone with a fixed mindset would have been disastrous. However, it was motivation to train harder and become better to Michael. His love for the game and his devotion to it led him to embrace an obsessively disciplined training regime. The focus on getting better and not being defeated by failures made Michael Jordan the greatest Basket Ball player of all time. 

All the great sports champions have a growth mindset. Their abilities are complemented by their focus and efforts. They are not deterred by the setbacks but take these failures as a chance to improve themselves. 

In the corporate world, great leaders are also distinguished by the way they approach business. A leader with a fixed mindset lives in a world defined by success or failure. The opportunity for growth simply doesn't exist. 

Lee Iacocca tasted spectacular success at Chrysler Motors in his initial period. He became complacent and showed a fixed mindset towards business growth with time. He focused on the tried and tested, and produced similar car models year after year. His attitude was trapped in his past successes, and he failed to notice the advent of Japanese Automobiles. On the other hand, the Japanese Companies reflected a growth mindset in rethinking the way a car should look like and perform. Their models completely revamped the industry and set new standards for car manufacturing in the years to come. 

Contrast Iacocca's mindset with that of Lou Gerstner at IBM. When he took up the reigns of the Big Blue, IBM was in trouble, with complex hierarchies and internal disagreements. Gerstner had a growth mindset, and he completely revamped the way IBM functioned by abolishing existing hierarchies and reconstituting the structure of the Company. He focused on teamwork and fostered a culture of openness and communication. This approach worked wonders for IBM and ensured a blueprint of long-lasting success.    

 

Parents and teachers shape our mindset

Not for nothing is childhood termed as the foundation for adult life. As it turns out, our mindsets are shaped and set in our childhood. In fact, its seeds are placed in our minds in infancy. 

Who are the most important people in a child's life? Yes, it is the parents and the teachers who play a vital role in shaping the mindset of a child. These are often the people who take a position of a role model in a child's mind. Moreover, what a role model does or preaches, a child follows. 

Parents can unknowingly expose a child to a fixed mindset by focusing on the wrong things. Concentrating on the exam or test results alone can make a child develop a fixed mindset characterized by black or white outcomes. Focusing on learning and encouraging a child to learn new things can enable a kid to develop a growth mindset. 

Praise and compliments lavished on a child can be encouraging and prove harmful. For example, a compliment for finishing a maths problem quickly can lead a child to believe that being fast is equal to being clever. Thus, in this way, true learning and growth which comes with commitment and dedication can take a backseat in favor of being quick and looking smart! When they encounter an issue that requires more effort and time, they may be unable to cope. 

Teachers who adopt a similar approach towards students will also do more harm than good. Instead of believing that a student either has it or doesn't, a growth mindset approach will lead the teachers to ponder "How" they can teach their students who are lagging, instead of "Can" they teach their students who are lagging. 

Such an approach by the teachers enables their students to improve their skills and thus show improvements in their performances. 

You can change your mindset 

We know from scientific studies that our brain can rewire and learn from new situations. Thus, it is possible to change or transform one's mindset. You do not necessarily have to spend your life with a fixed mindset if you happen to have it! 

It is not really necessary to have a growth mindset in all walks of life. One can do with it in a few areas and leave the other areas. Just identify the critical areas of your life which need you to have a growth mindset. 

Babies and toddlers can often be seen putting almost anything and everything that they come across into their mouths, or asking strange questions related to everything that they see. This tendency is known as curiosity. The curiosity that can be so clearly seen in children proves that everyone is born with a love of learning, but the fixed mindset can undo it.  

A little hard work can always rectify this situation, and the fixed mindset can be easily changed into a growth mindset. Temporarily adopting the growth mindset and trying to do things from the point of view of someone with a growth mindset may help. By doing this, a person gets to experience the positive effects of the growth mindset firsthand, which may help one understand its benefits better, leading them to permanently adopt a growth mindset.  

 

Success is simply about establishing themselves and their superiority over others for many people. These are the people who have a fixed mindset. People with a growth mindset try to find motivations in the setbacks, try hard to achieve something, and try harder to remain at the top. The responsibility of a person does not end with him achieving what he desires but continues even after that. Even after attaining their goal, one must keep learning and understanding new things, which would always help to be the best among the competitors. 

Final Summary  

It is strange how a simple belief people harvest about themselves can greatly impact almost every aspect of their life. People with a fixed mindset end up hindering their own development, while those with a growth mindset embrace failures and keep on getting better. The mentality of an adult starts taking shape from childhood. So parents and teachers need to adopt a growth mindset for children to embrace the same.