Peopl e who hol d the Growth Mi ndset bel i eve that i ntel l i gence can be devel oped,

that the brai n i s l i ke a muscl e that can be trai ned.

Thi s l eads to the desi re to i mprove.
And how do you i mprove? Fi rst, you embrace chal l enges, because you
know that you' l l come out stronger on the other si de.
Cri ti ci sm and negati ve feedback are sources of i nformati on. That doesn' t mean
that al l cri ti ci sm i s worth i ntegrati ng or that nothi ng i s never taken personal l y,
but at l east the Growth Mi ndset i ndi vi dual knowns that he or she can change
and i mprove, so the negati ve feedback i s not percei ved as bei ng di rectl y about
them as a person, but rather about thei r current abi l i ti es.
The success of others i s seen as a source of i nspi rati on and i nformati on.
To Growth Mi ndset i ndi vi dual s, success i s not seen as a zero-sum game.
Si mi l arl y, obstacl es - external setbacks - do not di scourage you. Your
sel f-i mage i s not ti ed to your success and how you wi l l l ook to others;
fai l ure i s an opportuni ty to l earn, and so whatever happens you wi n.
Effort i s seen not as somethi ng usel ess to be avoi ded but as necessary
to grow and master useful ski l l s.
Growth Mindset
InteIIigence can be deveIoped
Leads to a desi re to l earn
and therefore a tendency to...
...embrace chal l enges
...persi st i n the face of setbacks
...see effort as the path to mastery
...l earn from cri ti ci sm
...fi nd l essons and i nspi rati on i n the success of others
Al l thi s gi ves them a greater sense of free wi l l
And so, Growth Mi ndset i ndi vi dual s wi l l i mprove and thi s wi l l create a posi ti ve feedback l oops
that encourages them to keep l earni ng and i mprovi ng. Of course, most peopl e do not have a
100% Fi xed mi ndset or a 100% Growth mi ndset; most of us have some of both.
The good news i s that i t i s possi bl e to change your worl dvi ew from a fi xed mi ndset to a
growth mi dset. And Carol Dweck's research i ndi cates that both chi l dren and adul ts
can be taught to change thei r mi ndset!