A book that I used when teaching a critical thinking course at the University of Missouri in Kansas City is “Mindset – The New Psychology of Success,” by Carol Dweck, Ph.D. I chose this book because it contains information, mostly backed by research, that draws the distinction between a “fixed” mindset and a “growth” mindset.
A Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
The basic difference between these two is that someone with a fixed mindset believes that abilities are fixed from birth. For instance, a person only has a certain amount of intelligence or personality characteristics. Similar to someone with an external locus of control, they believe that one is limited in abilities and innate circumstances are mostly responsible for success in life. Someone with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believes that human potential is limitless, and a person can accomplish great things with effort and determination.
Unfortunately, mindset not only emanates from the person herself, but is also manifested in others’ assessment of one’s abilities and potential. This is especially important in teaching, where certain educators, and unfortunately parents, believe that a child has limited abilities and limited motivation. Individuals tagged as “limited” or “unproductive” often take on these traits, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A growth mindset sees individuals as having the ability to develop and learn from shortcomings. They not only believe in their own potential, but also show others that they can succeed and that setbacks are learning opportunities.
Moving to a Growth Mindset
This perspective is extremely important in developing a wellness lifestyle. If a person believes that they have limitations based on certain conditions such as height, weight, or physical prowess, they may fall into a defeatist mindset before they even begin to consider change. They are also very sensitive to the lack of confidence others have in their ability to change, seeing confirmation in questions of doubt.
Making and sustaining healthy lifestyle changes requires an in-depth understanding of the person’s “mindset,” especially the fixed mindset that could be an issue in changing. Developing a Growth Mindset takes time and involves specific strategies and tasks. In fact, the growth mindset is central to all aspects of healthy living and a catalyst to making healthy choices.