Carol Dweck's Mindset

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The novel, Mindset, by Carol Dweck, demonstrates how influential a change in mindset can be. By examining numerous circumstances that lead individuals towards success or failure, Dweck sees the different mindsets from those who encounter success or failure. Her research shows that people with the growth mindset realize that their intelligence can be developed while people with the fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is stagnant. She stresses the importance of having a growth mindset by addressing her argument from different standpoints and comparing it to the fixed mindset. Throughout the novel, Dweck uses a wide range of examples to strengthen her argument. Her examples prove a common argument: ability can be fostered …show more content…

She states that the students, “completely took charge of their learning and motivation” (p. 61). As a result of their desire to learn and motivation to continue, the students with the growth mindset received higher grades than those with the fixed mindset. Instead of backing down in the face of challenges, students with the growth mindset embraced difficulties and discovered methods to study and strive. Her research backs up her argument and shows that there is no such thing as “natural talent” but rather talent that is built. She proves that intelligence is not stagnated and can be developed through training. She sees that people are not reaching their full potential because they are hiding from challenges in order to protect their confidence. With this mindset, people are incapable of experiencing new things and building their abilities. She has drawn a consistent pattern between those who are constantly praised and believed to be infallible and those who always find something to improve on. This pattern is enforced through the analysis of individuals such as Babe Ruth. Dweck points out the growth mindset Babe Ruth had caused him to reach his success. Even when he was not at a …show more content…

She is trying to solve the problem with people striving to prove their abilities instead of growing them. She is trying to push her readers to change to a growth mindset. Dweck wants to change the mindset that people have grown accustomed to and live their life in. She has observed a pattern in which people of all professions with the fixed mindset find someone or something to blame for their own responsibilities. She is preaching the idea of realizing that your own motivation and abilities is in your own hands and is not controlled by talent. By looking for potential to develop, people are able to improve their abilities drastically. She shows that the growth mindset allows people to maintain their success. A key idea that she shares as the source of the fixed mindset is the fear of being judged. She wants her readers to realize that intelligence is something that can be cultivated and strengthened. In addition, she also wants the reader to realize that one must take responsibility for ones actions instead of pushing the blame towards others. Instead of moving past and learning from their mistakes, Dweck has seen that people with the fixed mindset dwell on their mistakes and always find someone to blame for the bad events in their life. The negative consequences of doing so are shown in John McEnroe's tennis

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