fixed mindset

If you believe success is determined by your innate talents, you will fail to strive for glory. Imagine a top-notch marathon runner, who always finishes her races in the top ten. If you had to explain her success, would you say it was due to her being a natural runner? Or is it because she has practiced unwaveringly for years? If you’d opt for the first explanation, psychologists would say you probably have a fixed mindset, meaning you believe success depends on something you can’t change, like genetics. This kind of mindset is very harmful. If someone with such a fixed mindset is ever labeled as “ungifted,” they will no longer bother to practice or try to improve. They will feel that since they obviously lack the talent to succeed, there’s no point in wasting time on arduous practice.On the other hand, if someone with a fixed mindset believes that they are “gifted,” they still won’t bother to take the necessary steps to truly excel, because they feel they will succeed anyway thanks to their innate abilities. Consider Darius Knight, a promising table tennis player who was praised so much for his extraordinary talent that he reduced his training intensity. The consequence? His results plummeted until a new coach got him to focus on working harder. A fixed mindset can also make people give up too easily when learning something new, because they take even small setbacks as evidence that they’re not suited to the task. This was demonstrated by a study where children had to solve puzzles of increasing difficulty. When the children who had a fixed mindset encountered the first difficulties, they began to doubt their intelligence and eventually gave up entirely. At the same time, the other children rose to the challenge – they tried harder and became better solvers when the puzzles became more demanding. It seems clear then that children should be praised for their commitment, stamina and enthusiasm rather than their talents, for the latter can lead to a fixed mindset.