Mindset by Carol Dweck – The New Psychology of Success
Review by Gene Leonard
Our mindset shapes whether we believe we can learn, change and grow – or not.
An individual’s abilities are set in stone in the fixed mindset. Growth and development are possible in the growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset seek approval; those with a growth mindset seek development. The fixed mindset sees failures as disasters; the growth mindset sees them as opportunities. People with a fixed mindset avoid difficulties; those with a growth mindset relish them. Our mindset is often strongly influenced by the role models we had as children. Anyone can adopt a growth mindset and make the impossible possible.
An individual’s abilities are set in stone in the fixed mindset.
People with a fixed mindset believe that talent is king. In their view, a person’s abilities are set in stone from the get-go; a person is, by nature, either intelligent and talented or incompetent, and will stay that way.
Growth and development are possible in the growth mindset.
When children with a growth mindset are given a difficult math problem to solve at school, they jump to the challenge and want to do more problems just like it at home. They recognise that the more problems they solve, the more they learn.
The sky is the limit when it comes to life’s possibilities for children with a growth mindset. It’s hard to define their precise degree of intelligence today, let alone predict what it may be tomorrow. Sure, their grades reflect their status at one moment in time, but these kids believe they can learn more with hard work, dedication and perseverance.
Moreover, they are not interested in getting the highest grades or being better than other students; they want to feel the satisfaction of pushing themselves to the limits of their growth potential. Whether it’s music or sports, writing or drawing, they practice relentlessly and are quite aware that; it is only through practice and the occasional failure that they can improve their skills.
People with a growth mindset relish any opportunity to learn tricks from the crème de la crème in a field. They reconsider and discard strategies used in the past, and are always thinking about how they can eradicate their faults and weaknesses.
In their relationships, they encourage their partners to continue learning and working on themselves. When they play sports, they play knowing they are serving the team. When they run a business, they show their employees respect, are grateful for their work, and ask for their honest opinions on things, however inconvenient the truth may be. People with a growth mindset welcome problems and see them as challenges, not obstacles. They willingly put their energy into bettering themselves and the world around them.
- People with a fixed mindset seek approval; those with a growth mindset seek development.
- The fixed mindset sees failures as disasters; the growth mindset sees them as opportunities.
- People with a fixed mindset avoid difficulties; those with a growth mindset relish them.
- Our mindset is often strongly influenced by the role models we had as children.
- Anyone can adopt a growth mindset and make the impossible possible.
The key message of this book is:
People with a fixed mindset obstruct their own development through their belief in innate talent and their fear of failure. On the contrary, people with a growth mindset work hard and train hard to ultimately realise their potential to the fullest. By confronting our own attitudes and ideas, we can develop a growth mindset.
