The Fixed vs Growth Mindset and How to Switch to the Latter

The differences found in the fixed vs growth mindset ‘rivalry’ are perhaps even more important than the definitive traits of these two concepts themselves. Depending on how much you believe in a person’s abilities to change and grow, you may either possess a fixed or a growth mindset. Whichever resonates most with you could end up being very telling of your values and the way you treat the roads which lie ahead of you.

Without further ado, let’s clear up what these two concepts even are before we get to the major differences and the ways through which you can transition to the healthier alternative.

What Is a Fixed Mindset?

People with fixed mindsets strongly believe that people are born with certain traits and skills which are inherently unchangeable. In other words, that your talents, skills, and personality characteristics are stable notions which you possess regardless of whether you pursue their growth or not.

There are some profound wrongs regarding this mindset, but more particular are the ones regarding the constant need for validation of people experiencing it. They constantly aim for success with the belief that their skills belong to them for a reason. “If I don’t have this, I won’t have anything,” is a frequent thought in their heads. The general lack of flexibility, the constant thriving for validation and success, and the general narrowness often lead people down a path of pessimism.

What Is a Growth Mindset?

At the opposite pole you have the growth mindset, the one which entails that people are all essentially canvases and that it’s up to our own strengths and choices to fill it up. Your personality, your skills, and your talents stem from your own path in life and they are all things which you can fix, change, or otherwise remove altogether.

In terms of performance, people with a growth mindset tend to be more open to criticism and take failures a little bit better, seeing them as yet another step forward toward their goals. This makes adepts of this mindset into optimists.

Fixed vs Growth Mindset: The Differences

The differences should be pretty clear by now, if not even obvious. These two mindsets are at opposite spectrums and they generate two radically different kinds of people. However, worth mentioning is the fact that these ‘resulted people’ are mostly hypothetical. In real life, it’s pretty difficult to find someone who can be radical enough to fully sway in one direction or another.

How to Switch to a Growth Mindset

For starters, begin by acknowledging that you can definitely pick up new skills and polish them. Afterwards, it’s all a matter of putting this in practice and nurturing the skills that will you need most for the transition. Learn to take criticism in a constructive way and recognize failures as opportunities to learn and develop.

Bottom Line

And that was our short lesson in the fixed vs growth mindset debate. Paired with the best starting point for anyone wishing to make the transition from the former to the latter. Accept and learn – that’s the key.

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