Mindset - Carol S. Dweck

Does the mentality interfere with our behavior? Is it possible to change our mentality or are we born with a set of fixed characteristics? These are the questions that move the reflections of Carol S. Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success".

This book has a simple premise: the world is divided between people who are open to learning and those who are closed to learning. And that trait affects everything in life, from your worldview to your interpersonal relationships.

Author and psychologist teacher Dweck explains the ways mindsets impact their lives, as well as explaining that it is possible to have a fixed mindset for certain things and a growth mindset for others.

About the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"

The book, published in 2006, discusses the differences between people with a fixed mindset versus those with a growth mindset.

Our mentality determines how we deal with difficult situations and setbacks, as well as our willingness to cope and improve ourselves. This book demonstrates how we can achieve our goals from a change of mentality.

About the author Carol S. Dweck

Carol S. Dweck, Ph. D., is a researcher on personality and psychology. She is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and has also taught at Columbia University.

In addition, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the author also wrote "Self-Theories," which was voted the book of the year by the World Education Fellowship.

To whom is this book indicated?

"Mindset" is suitable for all those who want to discover different mindsets and how they influence behavior, being able to improve their capabilities to face problems and to improve.

Main ideas of the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"

• There are two types of mindset: fixed and growth;
• People with a fixed mindset are afraid to take risks and focus a lot on the problems, not the solutions;
• Society ends up inducing us to believe in patterns of intelligence or success that, for the fixed mindset, end up becoming sources of frustration;
• People with a growth mindset like challenges because they believe that error is a source of learning. They may even feel bad about the failure for a while, but then they focus on the solution;
• The growth mindset can be developed both in yourself and in others;
• Skills can be developed, just requiring to put effort into it;
• You can have both a fixed and growth mindset applied to different areas and times in your life;
• If you have children, be careful what you talk to them about, as you may be developing the mindset fixed in their heads.

Download the "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" Book Summary in PDF for free

Do you have no time to read now? Then download the free PDF and read wherever and whenever you want:

Overview: Growth Mindset

Some people are smarter, more thoughtful, or more adventurous than others. Dweck says that for years, experts have attributed these different characteristics to the combination of the environment, physiology, and genetic makeup of each individual.

However, other factors help determine individual characteristics, including traits that define whether your mindset is fixed or of growing.

Those who regard their personality or intelligence as unshakable possess a fixed mindset. They believe that these characteristics are not subject to change and feel they need to prove their value constantly in various situations.

People with a fixed mindset usually develop this perspective in childhood, usually by the influence of parents and teachers.

On the other hand, people who have a growth mindset believe that they can improve or change their characteristics over time. They believe that the future represents opportunities for growth.

Overview: The impact of the mindset

The mindset has significant implications, although most people are inaccurate in estimating their own capabilities. People with a fixed mindset tend to make mistakes in a personal way. They interpret any setback, from dismissal to a break in a relationship, any negative feedback as a form of rejection.

Their low self-esteem is exacerbated by feeling unwanted. They strive to hide their weaknesses but believe that their relationships, their traits, and those of their partners are all impossible to change.

In contrast, growth-minded people believe they can change their personality. They are more likely to develop their talents. They love to learn and feel frustrated when they fail to reach their potential, as well as dealing better with stress.

The mentality also determines leadership qualities, including performance in studies. Medical students with a fixed mindset lost interest in an important class after taking 60 on a test.

Accustomed to quick reinforcement after a problem, they stopped being interested when they did not earn quick rewards. Growth-minded students thrived as classes became more difficult.

Mindset plays an important role in developing a "natural" talent. One educational researcher realized that exceptional people, from swimmers to musicians, did not present their talents before studying and training.

Mindsets affect depressed people. Growth-minded depressive students tend to work to solve their depressions by maintaining their commitments to studies and their other interests.

Carol S. Dweck reveals that students with a fixed mindset become less active and involved when they go into depression. People with a fixed mindset react differently to compliments than those with a growth mindset.

According to "Mindset", labeling people can be very harmful, from calling a child "gifted" or "exceptional" to using sexual or racial stereotypes. Such labels can make one feel inferior and generate one's own negative prophecy.

Often, ranking makes people not reach their potential. When they believe in these stereotypes, they can lie or exaggerate about their true accomplishments.

Overview: Changing your mindset

In this section of "Mindset" it's presented that while mindsets produce definitive worldviews, people can change as they learn new skills. Human beings can be taught to react in different ways, such as facing challenges and thinking differently.

For example, when athletes with a growth mindset challenge themselves, they develop positive traits. According to researchers, these athletes did not achieve success on their own.

They focused on the process and ignored distractions, taking advantage of the challenge as much as the positive conclusion. They learned from failures and recognized that hard work brought personal gain.

Dweck says that in contrast, fixed mindset athletes forced themselves to win to show that they were better than their competitors. When they lost, however, they felt depressed.

Overview: Talent and teaching

Dweck presents one research that shows that companies with leaders who have a growth mindset tend to look for employees who can correct shortcomings and find new solutions. These executives believe in people's ability to grow.

One study compared organizations according to the variation in their market value. When you compared companies that had exceptional growth with companies that did not grow, it was discovered that their success was tied to leaders who constantly examined the company's processes and challenged their failures.

Another study found that setting a task for students and explaining how success would be measured can determine which mindset they have developed.

"Mindset" says that teachers should be careful about the language used. Making blind praise can often disrupt students as they may mislead themselves about the speed of their learning, the efficiency of their study habits, or how much skill they have.

Praising students for their efforts and achievements causes them to pursue greater challenges. Kids can play innocuous praise - like "You learn fast because you're smart!" - to understand that learning slowly is a bad thing.

It is also not wise to protect children from failure. Not being the best, or failing, from time to time happens in life.

Parents who focus on being the best do not provide a replacement position for the child if he or she does not succeed, causing the child to blame others, devalue the activity, or develop low self-esteem.

Overview: Open and Closed: Mindset and Leadership

A leader with a fixed mindset can lead the company to bankruptcy. According to Dweck, one researcher found that when executives focus only on their personal reputation, this can cost a lot for the company.

The same scholar has discovered that executives who see themselves as geniuses or visionaries do not put together great teams.

Executives with a growth mindset are in the extreme opposite. Good leaders have a desire to learn. Studies show that there is no such thing as a "born leader". People become leaders by changing their personalities and accepting the challenge of life.

"Mindset" presents that instead of trying to find future leaders by their natural talent, companies must differentiate candidates for leadership positions for their individual development potential and provide opportunities for them to learn new skills.

In fact, when organizations give employees a chance to learn, they enable them to advance, earn more, and become more prepared for career challenges.

Overview: In Love and War

Dweck says in "Mindset" that people with open mindsets have different reactions in personal relationships compared to fixed-minded individuals. The latter seek spontaneous affiliations and dramatic breakups, as well as delaying forgiveness for thinking that this is a show of weakness.

When relationships go wrong, people with fixed mindsets are forced to blame their partners. They deflect any personal guilt. In extreme cases, a person can be so competitive that he even daunts the partner's identity and accomplishments.

Your worldview can be a source of happiness or anxiety depending on the way you interpret events and how you react to them. People with a fixed mindset tend to be judgmental.

Psychologists have used cognitive therapy to encourage people to ask themselves the reason for making extreme judgments about others, and whether their opinions are justified, to see their emotions. This is a way to break the cycle of a fixed mindset and open new ways for growth.

What do other authors say about it?

"Behavioral Mapping" is a compilation of articles by coaches all over Brazil who study the influence of mindset on the work environment and personal life.

Douglas Burtet, an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in creating and adapting methods, for example, says that a leader can only take his team where he himself has already gone. It is essential that the leader goes through the same analysis process as his subordinates.

In "Factfulness" you will refute the worldviews you had until today, starting to look at a situation from two sides without generalizations. After reading this, you will be more critical to analyze world situations and conflicts, understanding that things are not always as TV presents us.

In the book "Value Generation", author Flávio Augusto says that winning thoughts are more likely to generate positive results, while trivial thoughts generate only trivial results.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

Your goal, according to the author Carol S. Dweck, should always be to seek the growth mindset in all areas of your life. To do this, always focus on the solution and not the problem. Embrace all challenges and situations as opportunities for growth.

If you are studying, understand that a grade is the result of a set of situations at a given time and does not determine who you are. If you want to improve, just study harder, and prepare yourself mentally.

Seek to stimulate the thought of growth in your children and the people around you. This means valuing effort and not the result, rejecting limiting and judgmental thoughts, and focusing on learning opportunities.

Did you like this summary of the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"?

We hope you enjoyed our summary and are able to apply the advice of the author, Carol S. Dweck, to your life. Leave your opinion in the comments, your feedback is very important to us.

In addition, to take another step towards understanding and improving your mindset, purchase the book by clicking on the image below: