Here is an excerpt from an article about Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University:
Through more than three decades of systematic research, [Carol Dweck] has been figuring out answers to why some people achieve their potential while equally talented others don’t—why some become Muhammad Ali and others Mike Tyson. The key, she found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed.
To anyone who is into personal growth and self-improvement, this seems obvious. But clearly, it is not obvious to everybody: look at this diagram by Nigel Holmes representing the two types of mindsets and I’ll sure you’ll recognize the attitudes of many people you know.
Fixed Mindset
Let’s have a look, starting with the Fixed Mindset side:
People who hold these beliefs think that “they are the way they are”, but that doesn’t mean that they have less of a desire for a positive self-image than anyone else. So of course they want to perform well and look smart. But to achieve these goals…
By definition, a challenge is hard and success is not assured, so rather than risk failing and negatively impacting their self-image, they will often avoid challenges and stick to what they know they can do well.
Same with obstacles. The difference here, as I see it, is that challenges are things that you can decide to do while obstacles are external forces that get in your way.
What’s the point of working hard and making efforts if afterwards you are still on square one? If your worldview tells you that effort is an unpleasant thing that doesn’t really pay dividends, then the smart thing to do is to avoid it as much as possible.
Useful negative feedback is ignored in the best of cases, and taken as an insult the rest of the time. The Fixed Mindset logically leads you to believe that any criticism of your capabilities is criticism of you. This usually discourages the people around and after a while they stop giving any negative feedback, further isolating the person from external influences that could generate some change.
The success of others is seen as a benchmark against which the person looks bad. Usually when others succeed, people with a Fixed Mindset will try to convince themselves and the people around them that the success was due to either luck (after all, almost everything is due to luck in the Fixed Mindset world) or objectionable actions. In some cases, they will even try to tarnish the success of others by bringing up things that are completely unrelated (“Yes, but did you know about his…”).
As a result, they don’t reach their full potential and their beliefs feed on themselves: They don’t change or improve much with time, if at all, and so to them this confirms that “they are as they are”.
Growth Mindset
Let’s now look at the Growth Mindset:
People who hold the Growth Mindset believe that intelligence can be developed, that the brain is like a muscle that can be trained. This leads to the desire to improve.
And how do you improve? First, you embrace challenges, because you know that you’ll come out stronger on the other side.
Similarly, obstacles – external setbacks – do not discourage you. Your self-image is not tied to your success and how you will look to others; failure is an opportunity to learn, and so whatever happens you win.
Effort is seen not as something useless to be avoid but as necessary to grow and master useful skills.
Criticism and negative feedback are sources of information. That doesn’t mean that all criticism is worth integrating or that nothing is never taken personally, but at least the Growth Mindset individual knowns that he or she can change and improve, so the negative feedback is not perceived as being directly about them as a person, but rather about their current abilities.
The success of others is seen as a source of inspiration and information. To Growth Mindset individuals, success is not seen as a zero-sum game.
And so, Growth Mindset individuals will improve and this will create a positive feedback loops that encourages them to keep learning and improving.
What Now
The good news – especially if you just recognized yourself as being someone who holds the Fixed Mindset worldview – is that it is possible to change from one to the other. In fact, I think this should be taught to all children.
What’s more, Dweck has shown that people can learn to adopt the latter belief and make dramatic strides in performance. [...]
The most dramatic proof comes from a recent study by Dweck and Lisa Sorich Blackwell of low-achieving seventh graders. All students participated in sessions on study skills, the brain and the like; in addition, one group attended a neutral session on memory while the other learned that intelligence, like a muscle, grows stronger through exercise. Training students to adopt a growth mind-set about intelligence had a catalytic effect on motivation and math grades; students in the control group showed no improvement despite all the other interventions.
“Study skills and learning skills are inert until they’re powered by an active ingredient,” Dweck explains. Students may know how to study, but won’t want to if they believe their efforts are futile. “If you target that belief, you can see more benefit than you have any reason to hope for.”
Does the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset theory fits with your personal experience? Does it describe well the people around you? Please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks to Guy Kawasaki.
Images credit: Nigel Holmes
See also:
Update: Carol Dweck recently published The Secret to Raising Smart Kids in Scientific American.
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May 2, 2007 at 10:47 pm |
This is a great description (with cool graphics) of the fixed vs. growth mindset. However, one thing I gained by reading the book, was an insight into the often highly-successful people with the fixed mindset.
Your distinction, like most summaries of Dweck’s book, oversimplifies the mindsets, making it hard to imagine how anyone could tolerate having a fixed mindset…it is so obviously lame. But the fixed mindset can be hidden from ourselves and wrapped in a sense of entitlement and selective self-validation. People can have both growth and fixed attributes in the way they view the world, so they choose their challenges well, managing risk, but fundamentally approaching life from a fixed view.
When someone recommended I read MindSet, my initial reaction was to say, “No way, that is NOT me!” I am a growth person! But as I more fully understood the fixed mindset, I came to realize that while I have attacked many challenges in my life, and told myself I could do anything and be anything, I did have some fixed mindset baggage that was limiting me. I highly recommend people read the whole book. If this stuff “bothers” you…you need to read the book!
September 30, 2007 at 5:15 pm |
[...] Here is a great entry with commentary using the diagram. [...]
November 24, 2007 at 11:59 am |
All your pictures are gone.
November 24, 2007 at 1:26 pm |
Thank you for the heads up, Sandy. It should be fixed now. I think it’s because I upgraded to a Pro Flickr account recently… Somehow that changed some URLs for pictures.
November 30, 2007 at 4:14 pm |
describing the difference is enlightening but I want more.
What about people who change / want to, from fixed to growth? Is that possible? what happens? what are the chances of the changes taking permanent hold / what is the likelyhood of going back? and i guess visa-versa…
January 24, 2008 at 2:39 pm |
[...] It’s not about how much is in your wallet, but how much is in your head. So get smart (you can if you have a growth mindset). [...]
March 8, 2008 at 11:38 pm |
My teacher wrote a blog on the same topic. http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/2008/03/06/the-curse-of-the-smart-student/#comments
I gave a hyperlink to this blog so they could check it out. Great information!
June 18, 2008 at 2:11 am |
[...] an integral part failure is our personal branding as without what Carol Dweck called the” Growth Mindset” in her book “Mindset” how can we learn from failure and grow as [...]
October 10, 2008 at 12:56 pm |
Michael! I concur that your graphics are particularly engaging in introducing Carol’s concepts of Fixed v. Growth Mindsets. I had the pleasure of hearing her speak about mindsets at a recent conference at the University of Washington. I’m excited to share her theories (which feel like truths to me!) with my current 8th grade class at Seattle Girls’ School!
On a side note (and a bit of a challenge to you, should you be of a fixed mindset)…I noted two “typos” in your article that you might want to fix. In the “Lets now look at the Growth Mindset…” sentence, you dropped the apostrophe in Let’s… a bit later, you wrote “thought” instead of “taught” in your observation that “this should be TAUGHT to all children.” Again, I completely concur and am eager to do so, at least with my students!
Once an English teacher, always an English teacher!
Keep up the interesting, thought-provoking reflections! Sally (McLaughlin)
October 10, 2008 at 1:10 pm |
Thanks Sally. Will fix the typos
December 25, 2008 at 11:18 am |
[...] Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? [...]
February 21, 2009 at 9:46 am |
[...] above was extracted from a website on Growth Mindset. Although I have heard someone say that Growth Mindset is like “pretending [...]
April 11, 2009 at 8:56 pm |
[...] What is the missing link? Is it the exact opposite of growth mindset, what Carol Dweck calls “fixed mindset” – the fear of never living up to the “Harvard brand” or any previous success, which [...]
April 16, 2009 at 1:16 am |
Is changing things about your appearance to be accepted by society at large operating under the growth mindset? For example, a middle aged, overweight, unattractive male might believe his desireablility to be fixed. But upon adopting the growth stance, he may start to use the gym, buy brand name clothes, die his hair, get an expensive car and pay $20,000.00 for a face lift. Using the growth stance, he now realizes he has the ability to change his situation. Is this the correct approach under the growth stance? Or is there something missing here?
April 16, 2009 at 3:24 pm |
Joe, I think this can fit in the broad sense, though I’d probably phrase it as:
Fixed mindset = “I believe I’m not attractive, and that’s just who I am”
Growth mindset = “I’m going to learn how to become more attractive to others and improve myself.”
It doesn’t necessarily imply the steps you wrote about, but for some people I suppose they could be part of it.
May 6, 2009 at 11:48 pm |
It’s great and meaningful for me as a principal because i have to support and motivate my teachers and also students. On the other hand, i frequently faced that my teacher was not patient in handling this kind of ‘incredible’ students. Would you please, give me description in applying this material?
Choirul-Indonesia
May 16, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
This article somehow made me think and reassess myself. Thanks for posting this
May 21, 2009 at 9:11 am |
[...] a The Psychology of Incompetence by Ron Burk on youtube, I searched for more information on Fixed mindset. I found a book that might help me in learning about people and [...]
May 22, 2009 at 8:43 pm |
[...] 1. http://michaelgr.com/2007/04/15/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset-which-one-are-you/ [...]
May 30, 2009 at 9:30 pm |
[...] 2. Support for staff to develop professionally – needs to be innovative, especially in the creation of time and space to learn. Using Year 10 -12 examination time (by hiring invigilators) allows staff to have extra hours throughout the year. See earlier posts in this series (faculty/teacher posts). Models of continuous learning rather than outdated one-off training programs are needed. Mostly, it is about a changed mindset. [...]
June 1, 2009 at 10:34 pm |
[...] be learned and honed. They learn from criticism and make efforts to better themselves. (Read Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? by Michael Graham Richards.) Even astrology allows for change. Premised on the notion that our [...]
June 29, 2009 at 4:16 pm |
Throughout my life questioning myself and everything in my surroundings. I have always liked to think of myself as an expanding perspective in life, which always inspires a constant growth in reaching and understanding further knowledge. Allowing to look at life in a positive outlook seeking meaning and understanding in the smallest of tasks, challenges and general experiences.
Mindset is not easily divided into two simple definitions in my eyes however, like earlier said people can contradict many of the differences between the two of the mindsets inspiring multiple thought process’s of expanding contributions of change in everyday life. I myself have just turn seventeen and with a long and eventful seventeen years of challenging myself with new idea’s of personnel expansion.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I really enjoyed your diagrams. I also think the idea to teach this in schools would not only inspire a highly productive growth in students in academic potential but there way of approaching life. It would inspire teachers to teach on a more connective level of understanding. Which would produce stronger student relations, fun & maturer students and higher qualifications.
Would love to here more feedback. Love to see contributions from all kinds of people wanting to reach higher personnel development and self understanding! XD
P.s Sorry for the essay…
September 4, 2009 at 7:49 pm |
I have read the book Mindset (from Carol Dweck) with a great deal of interest, it has been a great read
I’ve been able to diagnose myself as a fixed mindset person lacking self esteem,
however I’m working hard to adopt a growth mindset …
This has obviously had terrible impact on my daily life,
I’m an entrepreneur (one man band in the software industry) and there are many challenging projects that I can’t get done, or started due to lack of will power, motivation, unability of getting and staying in the zone for a long time, lack of concentration and so on
I’m guessing that this is related to my fixed minset state
I’ve sometimes the feeling that my life is just passing by, that I’m worthless and that I’m just a plain procrastinator or a lazy person which lack the self discipline required to get things done in a timely manner, sometimes even the most mundane things such as shopping.
As a result of that I’ve always got the feeling of being overwhelmed with zillions of things to do which leads to anxiety and stress and then I don’t know by what which I should start, which lead to a constant status quo in my life
Would you have any tips & advises you could give me to get out of this trap ?
I’m a useless drawer (kinder garden level) and I’ve decided to read Betty Edwards book to see if I can manage to draw better
Best Regards from France,
Demrek
PS : Sorry for the mangling English but I’m French
September 5, 2009 at 4:47 am |
Truth be told this article hit both sides of who I am.For many years I was told by many of my teachers that I was smarter then what I let out.It was only when I worked at a warehouse for 8 years that i learned that I actually needed to learn.Though I am good at my job I fell meaning less because it does not take much brains to do it.I felt my brain was waisted on me.However since I realized that I don’t know everything & that learning don’t mean that u are dumb.I have a new hunger to seek knowledge and find out who am and let go of my fixed mind.
September 8, 2009 at 3:01 pm |
[...] Mindset, which explains the differences well. 1:05 – This topic is covered really well by Michael Graham Richard on his blog. 2:02 – Here’s a great article by Jonathan Fields about cultivating the right mentality [...]
September 16, 2009 at 9:41 pm |
[...] Mindset, which explains the differences well. 1:05 – This topic is covered really well by Michael Graham Richard on his blog. 2:02 – Here’s a great article by Jonathan Fields about cultivating the right mentality [...]
December 3, 2009 at 12:15 am |
I have always known that i have had more drive/motivation to learn/do things than all the people surrounding me but never knew why. This mindset theory explains a lot…..a lot about why certain people are in the positions that they are in….and i think this heavily explains why the world isnt what it could be today……instead of helping each other to learn and be better…..people have a fixed mindset and are rejecting the help offered and seeing it as a disrespect. Im 19 and i see this everyday with my friends….this can explain why people get shot and stabbed……why people spend their lives in and out of prison….or stuck in a dead-end job on minimum wage in housing projects…..no ambition…desire…no awareness of capabilities! If only the schools helped us to adopt a growth mindset so that everyone had desire to be something….to get out of the rubbish lifestyles we may have been brought into….its a good thing that mindsets can be changed…. but im sure theres many that cant!
December 19, 2009 at 7:35 pm |
[...] mindset“ oder „fixed mindset: wieder etwas gelernt. Mehr dazu in diesem Beitrag und hier von Vera F. Birkenbihl. Blick Log über Twitter folgen oder Beitrag über folgende [...]
December 30, 2009 at 1:47 pm |
how can we train or nurture a teen or a kid toward motivating growth mindset. since i am an educationist and helping many kids and teen, i would need some tip on this subject. so pls help me…
January 20, 2010 at 1:43 pm |
A lot of kids, probably more than most nowdays, simply dont care how they act, in order for someone to adopt a growth mindset, they would have to care about what their mindset is, understand why they act the way they do, and understand that they can change, and the reason for change, which would be to become a better person, which they would also have to care about.
January 6, 2010 at 11:04 am |
[...] pushing past fear and leaping. It was inspiring and a good reminder to me of how much I cling to my FIXED mindset. Testing limits is my PINK hair. It starts right [...]
January 10, 2010 at 1:11 am |
Excellent information. It gives me a clear thought about myself. It gives me a clear idea about my attitude towards my work. Thanks a lot