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| "Wings of Victory" (Early 20th century) by Erte |
How do we avoid moving from a growth mindset to a fixed mindset if our measurement of the growth mindset is how awesome someone does compared to others?
Isn’t beating the competition the kind of the measure fixed mindset individuals use?
All individuals, regardless of their mindset, seek success. The measure of success can even be the same. Where the mindsets differ is in the individual's response to their success. Those with a fixed mindset will settle for any success great enough to feed their egos, but individuals with a growth mindset feel a continuous urge to learn more and achieve greater things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sierra that it is how we respond to success that judges whether we are put into the fixed or growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset will simply give up after their success. They will take the feeling of accomplishment and will leave it at that. They do not want to keep pushing theirselves because they do not want to jeopardize the elated feeling they gained from their success. Growth minded people do the opposite. They get excited by their success like people with a fixed mindset but will strive to do more. An accomplishment is something that fuels them to do more. They use it to ignite their passion and are willing to risk failure to learn more. Everyone desires success, but it is how one responds to the success that will determine their mindset.
DeleteThere are always people to compare yourself to, and it is always rewarding to be the best at something. People with the growth mindset, want to be the best they can be, not the best around them. In high school, and even college, the people we see around us as "the best" are usually: the best in class, in the school, or sometimes even in the state or conference. Is this enough? No, there are almost always higher levels, and bigger achievements to make. Does this mean that the only people who are successful are those who win the Olympics or are the best in the world? No, being the best you can be is being successful. Having a fixed mindset can limit people. One, they can only focus on this level, if they are the best in the school than that is alright. Or two, they can limit their happiness by being obsessed with being the best, instead of accepting themselves.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Everyone can think negatively about their achievements because of how much more there always is to achieve. Those in the fixed mindset get stuck in those negative thoughts while those in the growth mindset can be positive about what they have achieved. I loved your take on this!
DeleteI think to truly avoid transitioning back to a fixed mindset you have to understand that it's not all about being the best. It's about trying to better your self from what you have been in the past. I think to avoid the very possible transition, you have to take your failures in strides and try to make the best out of how far you have come, or how hard you have tried. I think beating the competition is a mind set that is drilled in very early in childhood. Everyone wants to be the best and at the very top of everything. And I believe that is where part of a fixed mindset comes into play. To truly change, continue, and embrace a growth mindset, I think it is important to understand that you are trying to grow from where you are, even if that means your still not at the top.
ReplyDelete-Brooke Hill