Mindset-Carol Dweck
Many of us have the fear of judgment. We run away from scary situations because we think we will stupid or embarrass ourselves. I know I certainly do. I have done so on countless occasions. The constant fear of judgement and the need to avoid looking stupid stems from a core belief people have about themselves and the people around themselves and the people around them. That everyone has a set amount of intelligence. This leads to the thought. If you have a fixed intelligence and if you make mistakes and look stupid, then you must not be very intelligent. The underlying belief is that you have been dealt a hand of cards in the poker game of life.
When your grades are good and things are going well. You believe that you have been dealt a good hand. But as time passes you face challenges, competition, hurdles and you make mistakes. Suddenly you feel your hand is not so good after all.
When facing these challenges you avoid doing things you may not look good doing. You avoid situations where you may make mistakes. You stop showing interest and stop trying so that people can’t really judge your abilities. You attempt to maintain the illusion that you are still smart and talented. This type of mindset is coined by Dweck as ‘the fixed mindset’.
Dweck saw this mindset in many of her studies. An example was with a fifth-grade class. Dweck gave the children puzzles. All the puzzles were within the student’s ability. The class was able to solve them. However, after solving the first set of puzzles Dweck gave the children a second set of puzzles. These puzzles were significantly harder than the first lot.
Dweck noticed a pattern amongst the students. She saw two groups appear. Some children were praised for their puzzle-solving ability. They developed the belief that they were gifted. They showed a steep decline in interest. They stopped putting in the effort as the puzzles got harder.
The other group of children didn’t shy away from the puzzle. They said that the puzzles were an opportunity to get smarter. They even asked Dweck if she could write down the name of the puzzles so could ask their mothers to buy more. The second group of children have a growth mindset.
People with a growth mindset now that talent and intelligence are not gifts, you need to work for them. They are also aware that with the right strategy anyone can get better at anything.
A person with a growth mindset knows they are constantly getting smarter. So they aren’t afraid to look stupid. If they have been dealt a bad hand at the poker game of life, they know, they can continue drawing cards. They can put in more effort and find better strategies.
But is the growth mindset really true? Can cognitive abilities really be grown? Yes, cognitive abilities can be grown. You can physically grow sections of the brain. You can speed up your brain circuits. You can re‐wire your brain. All three of these facts and scientifically proven.
So now that you know about a growth mindset, how do you apply it in your life? The next time you face challenges, look at them in a different approach. Instead of thinking will I look smart while doing this? Ask yourself whether you will learn something new? After a difficult or challenging situation don’t say I’m not smart enough to do this. Say I’m not smart enough to do this YET.
The core or underlying belief you should now have is that everyone can grow their abilities. I’m not afraid of seeming stupid because I know I’m getting smarter. I won’t always look stupid if I put in the right effort and techniques. Have courage and confidence for new challenges.
By making the transition from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset your story goes from: “I am who I am. My personality, my intelligence, and my talent are fixed.” to “I am a constant learner. My abilities are constantly evolving and growing.”
Before you start your journey here are a few words from the book, Mindset by Carol Dweck
The Road Ahead
Change can be tough, but I’ve never heard anyone say it wasn’t worth it. Maybe they’re just rationalizing, the way people who’ve gone through a painful initiation say it was worth it. But people who’ve changed can tell you how their lives have been enhanced. They can tell you about things they have now that they wouldn’t have had, and ways they feel now that they wouldn’t have felt.
Did changing to a growth mindset solve all my problems? No. But I know that I have a different life because of it — a richer one. And that I’m a more alive, courageous, and open person because of it.
It’s for you to decide whether the change is right for you now. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But either way, keep the growth mindset in your thoughts. Then, when you bump up against obstacles, you can turn to it. It will always be there for you, showing you a path into the future.
- Carol Dweck, (Mindset, the new physcology of success)
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