There is something called the Mindset theory which questions our intelligence and other similar characteristics. But where do our traits come from? And can they change? These are the questions the mindset theory seeks to answer.
Where does it all stem from? Mindset theory tries to classify people’s differences based on their intelligence level and other similar traits. Is our intelligence innate (fixed) or does it change over time (growth)? This is the debacle surrounding many men’s mindsets. You’ve thought about it too, haven’t you?
At some point in your life, people have told you to open up your mind. This is because such people believe you’re too closed-minded about certain issues, which is true most of the time. Our argument here supports the growth mindset because our mindsets evolve as we age in life. But before all that, we need to establish what constitutes a mindset.
What is a Mindset?
We need to know what a mindset is and establish a foundation that sets apart the different mindsets.
Under decision theory, a mindset is a set of assumptions, notations, or methods held by a person or a collective group. A mindset is believed to arise from a person’s view of the world and philosophy of life.
The mindset theory was propounded by Carol S. Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist who classifies mindset into two general views:
- The first view is those who believe success comes from innate ability (Fixed Mindset)
- The second view is those who believe success hinges on learning, training, and hard work. (Growth Mindset)
What Mindset Do You Have?
Well, that depends on how you view success and life in general. Your mindset depends on your perspective of things like your talents and qualities. A mindset is not something to be overlooked. It is largely responsible for setting the limits of perceived success. In the long run, your mindset will be critical in your sense of fulfillment and accomplishment in life.
As a result, you’ll need to consider both types of mindset before understanding which one you belong to.
Fixed or Growth Mindset: What’s the Difference?
As aforementioned, Carol S. Dweck made groundbreaking research on implicit theories of intelligence. And her research made it possible to identify how individuals perceived success. In a world where many are afraid of failure, her mindset theory made a difference in social psychology. After releasing her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck makes us understand the two types of mindset available to every human being on the Earth.
Fixed Mindset
Although there is a lot of debate surrounding the constitution of a fixed mindset, some factors still make it what it is. A fixed mindset means you firmly believe your abilities are inherently fixed and cannot be changed. As a result, you tend to believe that your qualities are engraved in time; and your traits are unchanging.
But don’t be fooled, a fixed mindset is a pretty negative frame of mind. For instance, you choose to believe that you can only be as intelligent as you were destined to be; that you were born with limited mental capacity. This is primitive thinking; people with this type of mindset find it difficult to improve their intelligence.
Having a fixed mindset means you waste much-needed energy on reassuring yourself. Think about it; believing that you have a certain amount of intelligence, talent, moral character, or success, means you’ll constantly have to prove to yourself that you have these traits in abundance. In order words, you’ll forever conflict with yourself. Eventually, you’ll lose the bigger picture of life.
A fixed mindset left unattended will lead to a failure mindset. Feeling like you can’t improve on your talent, skills, and intelligence will only make you cringe in the face of life’s challenges.
Growth Mindset
The favored mindset and with good reason, the growth mindset is a perspective that lets you see your current levels of skill, talent, intelligence, and success as a starting point for growth. A growth mindset gives you an open mind, as you see expansive capabilities in your abilities.
A growth mindset is a positive mindset. Your mind is constantly geared towards self-improvement and development. This mindset is founded on the idea that your qualities are forever cultivable provided you dedicate time and energy to improving them. With time, a growth mindset gets you smarter and more talented. You start to see success as something relative to your qualities and talents; something you can reach for and achieve if you put enough effort into it.
Because a growth mindset encourages constant self-improvement, it enables you to learn better and put in more work. A growth mindset can greatly benefit from business, education, relationships, sports, etc. You are always full of confidence and never short of motivation.
How Mindset Determines Your Success
It’s a no-brainer that a growth mindset can make you more successful in life. Why, because as a positive frame of mind, a growth mindset drives you to achieve bigger and better things. On the other hand, having a fixed mindset only puts you in a limited frame of mind. You may become mentally stagnant as you lack the motivation to achieve more than you actually can.
The words of Carol Dweck explain it all. On a fixed mindset, she says “students believe their basic abilities, intelligence, talents are just fixed traits… their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb.”
On a growth mindset, she says, “Students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching, and persistence… they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.”
A growth mindset is practically what everyone needs to feel confident in their potential and be successful.
Mindset revolves around how you see the world around you. If you have a growth mindset, you can face life’s challenges with motivation. There are no limits to what you can achieve. So if you have a fixed mindset, now is the time to switch to a growth mindset. You deserve to be happier in life.
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