In today’s ever-evolving world, the concept of a growth mindset has gained significant
attention and importance. As we strive to navigate through various challenges and setbacks, can the way we think about ourselves and our abilities actually shape our lives?
The concepts of fixed and growth mindsets were first defined by American psychologist Carol Dweck. She theorized that a fixed mindset is the belief that your intelligence, talents and other abilities are set in stone, that you are born with a particular set of skills and it is impossible to change them. This leads people to approach challenging problems or tasks with less motivation, since they believe there is no point in trying things deemed outside their strengths or capabilities. According to Dweck’s research, people with a fixed mindset are afraid to take risks, because they fear failure.
Unlike a fixed mindset, which assumes that talents and traits are innate and unchangeable, a growth mindset fosters a sense of curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to embrace challenges. People who adopt this mindset believe that effort is the key to achieving success and they are more likely to view feedback as an opportunity to learn.
In one seminal study, Dweck and her colleagues offered some four-year-olds a choice: They could either redo an easy jigsaw puzzle, or try a harder one. Even these young children conformed to the characteristics of one of the two mindsets — those with “fixed” mentality stayed on the safe side, choosing the easier puzzles that would affirm their existing ability, whereas those with the “growth” mindset were perplexed why anyone would want to do the same puzzle over and over if they aren’t learning anything new. In other words, the fixed-mindset kids wanted to make sure they succeeded in order to seem smart, whereas the growth-mindset ones wanted to stretch themselves, for their definition of success was about becoming smarter.
In her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’’, Carol Dweck suggests that when you enter a new mindset, it’s like entering a new world. In one world — the world of fixed traits — success is about proving you’re smart or talented. Validating yourself. In the other — the world of changing qualities — it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself.
She explains that in one world, failure is about having a setback. Getting a bad grade. Losing a tournament. Getting fired. Getting rejected. It means you’re not smart or talented. In the other world, failure is about not growing. Not reaching for the things you value. It means you’re not fulfilling your potential.
Although it might be pretty obvious which mindset is the winner, is it that easy to put into practice? When you're faced with a challenge and you hear yourself thinking that you'd better not try because you don't have the talent to succeed, how can you reframe your own mind?
Remember that you can learn the skills you need to achieve your goals. You may not succeed the first time, but practice will help you to develop. For example, if you're facing a challenge and you think, "I'm not sure I can do this. I don't think I'm smart enough," then challenge this fixed mindset by responding with, "I'm not sure if I can do it and I may not get it right the first time, but I can learn by practice."
All in all, here is the key difference between the two mindsets: for those with a fixed one, success is about establishing their superiority, whereas for those with a growth one, success is when you work your hardest to become the best version of yourself. But as Carol Dweck once said, why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you?
Bibliography
Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives-
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: What's the Difference?-
Dweck's Fixed and Growth Mindsets- https://www.mindtools.com/asbakxx/dwecks-fixed-and-growth-mindsets
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset: How what you think affects what you achieve-
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