Why Mindset Is Key
Lessons from Carol Dweck’s seminal thesis
Some time ago, I decided to pick up a book that for a long time had been neglected on the shelf of my campus coffee shop. It was Carol Dweck’s thesis on mindset, wrapped up in a book that was comfortably called Mindset. Mindset was the product of over two decades of research and curiosity-fuelled explorations in human psychology, a subject which she preaches as a professor in Stanford University.
The central concept of the book revolves around the idea that “the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” Dweck introduces the idea of two opposing mindsets, the growth mindset and the fixed mindset, that serves as the vehicle that dictates how you live your life and its impact to your performance. Here’s how she differentiates the two:
In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb.
In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.
People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges. They see challenges as a potential void to fall into, since failure reinforces that they are not talented or smart. They lose motivation and drive when the work becomes difficult because it potentiates failure.
Those with a growth mindset however, constantly seek new challenges. They understand that challenges are catalysts of growth, and that venturing outside their comfort zones gives them the opportunity to improve and learn.
The growth mindset’s priority is to learn, while the fixed mindset’s goal is to conform to whatever the standard of success is, dwelling on the binaries of success and failure.
Having a fixed mindset means allowing setbacks to define who you are. Bad scores, criticism, and poor evaluation are deemed harmful, and to be avoided at all costs. These people feel the need to prove themselves each and every time. At times, they would even go as far as lying in order to preserve their flawless outer image.
The opposite is true if you have a growth mindset. You understand that your abilities and potential are not set in stone, and that setbacks do not define your intelligence or character. These people see failures as something temporary, and as opportunity to learn and bounce back from.
A similar concept is seen in Martin Seligram’s book Learned Optimism. Martin drives the idea that pessimistic people think of setbacks as permanent, universal, and internal; whereas optimistic people see setbacks as temporary, specific, and external. People with fixed mindsets are pessimistic about setbacks, people with growth mindsets are optimistic.
Moreover, people with a fixed mindset tend to believe that success is natural, that it should be won without effort. These people associate victories with natural talent and abilities. They use the words “natural” and “talented” to describe successful people. People with a fixed mindset also put too much emphasis on the outcome. That’s why they’re terrified of challenges and setbacks.
On the contrary, those with a growth mindset hold a strong belief in the benefits of hard work and challenges. They understand that success does not come naturally to anyone. They put emphasis on the process, and utilise outcomes as an opportunity to self-evaluate and improve. People with the growth mindset stretch themselves more, think bigger, take more risks, and learn something new, regardless of the outcome.
The benefits of the growth mindset can be obvious, but we can be guilty of adopting the fixed mindset in certain areas of life, usually in ways that escape our consciousness. This can be dangerous because a fixed mindset can often prevent important skill development and growth, which could disrupt your health and happiness down the line.
A common example is saying “I’m not a math person”, reinforcing a false belief system that is utilised as an easy excuse to avoid practicing math. The fixed mindset naturally prevents you from failing in the short-run, but over the long-haul it hinders your ability to learn, grow, and develop new skills.
Contrasting that with the opposing pole, folks who adopt the growth mindset would be more willing to try math problems even if they failed at first. Remember, they don’t view failure and setbacks as an indication to stop, but rather as a stepping stone to progress.
As a result, people who retain a growth mindset are more likely to maximise their potential. They learn from criticism rather than brushing it off, to embrace challenges rather than avoiding them, and to find inspiration in the success of others rather than feeling threatened.
“The mental toughness and the heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have. I’ve always said that and I’ve always believed that.”
— Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan was an excellent practitioner of the growth mindset. He realised early on that success stems not from talent, but from sheer hard work and dedication.They found their inspiration from doing their best, learning, and improving
As Dweck wrote in her book, “At the University of North Carolina, he constantly worked on his weaknesses — his defensive game and his ball handling and shooting. The coach was taken aback by his willingness to work harder than anyone else. Once, after the team lost the last game of the season, Jordan went and practiced his shots for hours. He was preparing for the next year. Even at the height of his success and fame — after he had made himself into an athletic genius — his dogged practice remained legendary.”
In one of Dweck’s interviews with Michael Jordan during research for Mindset, Jordan laid out a phrase that beautifully captures his mantra on the growth mindset. He said, “The mental toughness and the heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have. I’ve always said that and I’ve always believed that.”
Michael Jordan was perhaps one of the more hardcore growth mindset adopters, but I do believe that mindset is a spectrum. Each and every one of us hold a position somewhere along the spectrum, but it’s constantly mobile. Mindset is a trainable dynamic — just like basketball. Through thoughtful practice and habit-setting, you can train yourself to become a better growth mindset player.
