Mindset and Motivation

In the book Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, there is one main argument going on. This is the argument of growth mindset verses fixed mindset. Growth mindset is the belief that your basic qualities are capable of growth through effort. Fixed mindset is the belief that your qualities are set in stone.  In the first chapter, there was a section called “A View from the Two Mindsets” to give a better understanding of the two. The example was that you got a C+ on your midterm in your favorite class, you received a parking ticket, and you called your friend because of how frustrated you were and the friend brushed you off. If you had a fixed mindset, a typical response to how they would feel would be “I’d feel like a total failure” or “I’d feel worthless or dumb”. When she asked what people with a growth mindset one response was “I need to try harder in class, be more careful parking the car and I wonder if my friend had a bad day” This example helped me get a better understanding on the two. A person with a fixed mindset would completely shut down, while a person with a growth mindset would take what happened and find a way to fix it for the next time.

This connects to many of the things that we have been talking about in class. In regards to motivation, to be motivated one typically has a growth mindset. Also, you have to have a growth mindset to be a successful person. A growth mindset requires dedication and hard work, with the development of traits and skills. This is also what you need to be successful. You need to put in effort to further yourself. Having a fixed mindset would not lead to success because they put no effort in, and they believe that their abilities are set in stone, leaving no room for change.