Mindset: Fixed vs Growth

There are two different mind-sets that a person can have ( either a fixed mind-set or a growth mind-set), and they can both change the way a person thinks, acts, or behaves.  So which mind-set do you have and how can you change the way think if you have a fixed mind-set?

As we all know there are 2 different mind-sets so lets start with a growth mind-set. A person with a growth mind-set is always wiling to learn and doesn't worry about doing poorly on a test, making a mistake, or how they look. They care more about learning from their mistakes than scoring well on a test and can take criticism without breaking down. A person with a growth mind-set is also more likely to be successful than a person with a fixed mind-set, and have a higher level of intelligence. So what would a person with a fixed mind-set be like?

Well, some people believe that a person is born smart, dumb, or average and stays like that forever, but this isn't true, its actually an example of a fixed mind-set. A person with a fixed mind-set assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability can't be changed, which usually causes them to think negatively about themselves. Some people think so negatively about themselves that: they stop doing their homework, dislike school and sports, stay upset, and prefer easier challenges. I don't believe that this is a valid theory as it is scientifically proven that you can increase your level of intelligence. 

Dr.Dweck and her colleagues wanted to discover the impact that both mind-sets have on various grade 7 students.  She gave the students ten fairly challenging problems from a nonverbal IQ test, and then offered 2 types of praise:" Wow you got [X many] right. That's a very good score. You must be smart at this," while others," Wow you got [X many] right. That's a very good score. You must have worked really hard." In other words some were praised for their ability and others for their effort. What they discovered was that students that were praised for their ability went into a fixed mind-set and the ones praised for their effort went into a growth mind-set. Both mind-sets are like two different worlds and something so small like the way someone is praised can change the way you think.

 

I don't know why, but most students I know have a growth mind-set for almost every subject except for core French, History, and mathematics. I'm almost the opposite of my peers as I have a growth mind-set for each subject with the exception of drama.  So my question is which mind-set do you have? If you are not able to answer my question I suggest you visit http://community.mindsetworks.com/my-mindset?force=1 for a mind-set quiz.