Carol Dweck Fixed Mindset

The Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck once said, “…the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.” The main focus of her statement is on the concept of a mindset which is a mental attitude that determines a person’s responses and interpretations to situations. Dweck further explains the apparent differences between two types of mindsets – fixed and growth mindset – in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. For instance, in a fixed mindset, people assume that their talents and intelligence are stationary or simply “carved in stone,” and they tend to avoid failure at all costs in fear that they

Through the research that Carol Dweck has conducted about fixed mindsets, she has led many individuals to believe that is a waste of time for a person to continuously confirm their abilities, when they could be using that time to improve. In addition, a fixed mindset limits previously established goals because it constraints someone’s will to advance and expand. Interestingly, the mindset that a person possesses often depends on their upbringing, since that is when people are educated about the values that will later shape their future. Essentially, when parents solely praise their children for their talents and teach them that failures and mistakes hinder those talents, they are pushing their kids into the world of fixed mindsets. To validate this idea, Dweck organized an experiment in which certain children that were glorified for their proficiencies became afraid of difficult tasks, while other children who were complimented for their efforts welcomed

Nonetheless, the mentality that a person retains will influence almost every aspect of their lives, especially their future success, so that raises the question of whether they want to constantly improve, or permanently stay in the position that they are currently in. In order to find out which mindset is more beneficial, a thorough comparison between the advantages and disadvantages of each mindset is crucial. For example, the fixed mindset provides a direction to follow based on one’s abilities, however, it creates an urgency for constant validation, a tiresome recovery from failure, and it generates a habit of running away from problems in fear that their weaknesses will be revealed. On the other hand, promoting growth mindsets could cause a separation between those with fixed and growth attitudes, but it also focuses on the importance of applying a lot of effort, accepting change, and thriving on challenges. Clearly, the growth mindset is far more advantageous than the fixed mindset since it provides a greater amount of perennial benefits. Ultimately, whether someone has a fixed or growth approach to life, mindsets control everyone’s actions and decisions, both consciously and unconsciously,