Mindset by Carol Dweck

Mindset by Carol Dweck

• most people dislike failures; those who persevere step up and overcome failures; yet there are some who love "failures" -- they see them as learning episodes

• the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.

• why waste time proving to others how great you are, when you could be getting better?

• why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them?

• why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow?

• why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you?

• growth mindset (believe that one can learn, improve to be better) vs fixed mindset (we are born a certain way, period)

• a fixed mindset makes you concerned with how you'll be judged; a growth mindset makes you concerned with improving

• Benjamin Barber, an eminent sociologist, once said, "I don't divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures ... I divide the world into learners and non-learners. "

• "When you are lying on your deathbed, one of the cool things to say is, 'I really explored myself' ." -- Patricia Miranda, Olympic Bronze medalist for Wresting.

• for those with fixed mindset, as learning to repair from failure is not an option (since they believe that ability is fixed or pre-destined), finding ways to repair self-esteem might seem a "good" way out. So they look for someone who did worse. Another way is to make excuses.

• if you don't try, you can look back and claim "I could have .... if I tried" --> fixed mindset

• for the fixed mindset, talent is pre-destined and nothing can be done to it. As such, they believe that natural talent should not need effort, they do not ask for help. Nothing needed to be fixed or changed.

- to encourage growth mindset, praise (reward) efforts , not the talent

• Beware of success. It can knock you into a fixed mindset. "I won because I have talent. Therefore I will keep winning. "

• as parent, what are you saying to your kids?

Is it
(a) "you have permanent traits and I'm judging them"?

Or
(b) "you are a developing person and I'm interested in your development. "?

• people plan to do difficult things but they don't do them. With a growth mindset, people will understand the power of slowly accumulating efforts

CONCLUSION

Fixed Mindset
• intelligent is static
• desire to look smart
• avoid challenges
• defensive when faced with obstacles
• see effort as worthless
• ignore useful negative feedback
• feel threatened by the success of others

Growth Mindset
• intelligent can be developed
• desire to learn
• embrace challenge
• persist in face of obstacles
• see effort as path to mastery
• learn from criticism
• find lessons and inspirations in the success of others