Mindset is another book in the seemingly endless production line of self help Psychology books available. Amazon recommended it to me based on my past purchases, and I decided to give it a try. I can honestly say that this book was eye opening for me. It’s based on the premise that there are two mindsets present in all human beings: The Fixed Mindset and The Growth Mindset. People with the fixed mindset, according to the author, are people who would rather not challenge themselves because it may reveal to them any inadequacy or weakness in their skill level or knowledge base. Conversely, people who possess the growth mindset are people who, regardless if they fail, crave the opportunity to better themselves even if it means admitting that they do not know as much as they thought they did in a particular subject or discipline. The author also dispels the myth of intelligence and natural talent, bringing to light the evidence-based realization that intelligence can be nurtured and cultivated through study and constant, unremitting learning. One’s learning ability, or intelligence, much like the brain itself, is indeed malleable. Fascinating stuff. By the way, another book in the same vein as this one is “Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin. I may have reviewed it a year or two ago – I will have to check the archives of my blog.
Halfway through the book I realized that I possessed traits and elements from both the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. I’m a lifelong learner, there’s no question about that. I’m ridiculed by most of my peers and friends for always reading and trying to learn more, but it’s who I am and who I've always been, unbeknownst to some. That being said, however, I can remember many times in my life when I was afraid to challenge myself because I felt like it would reveal weaknesses in my knowledge or skill. When I was younger, I used to abhor criticism; I felt like if someone criticized me it was a direct attack on who I was, so I’d respond by becoming defensive. Granted, most people will criticize you just to make themselves feel better or to put you down because they see you’re actually trying to do something; but if someone is more skilled than you are in something and he or she offers some constructive criticism, you should pay attention because that’s an invaluable tool for growth. I've learned that over the years without question. When I first started studying Karate (I was probably 11 or 12 years old), I was so full of passion for it. I used to go to my classes with a zest and zeal that rivaled the most enthusiastic of students, but I quickly realized, even though I thought I was a natural, that I had a lot of work to do before I could even consider myself a real student of the martial arts. At first I refused to accept that I wasn't as strong or as fast as I thought I was. I was stuck in the fixed mindset. I knew I was good at throwing kicks and punches because I taught myself how to fight. I didn't want to hear anything anyone else had to say. Eventually I learned the hard way that I would have to acquiesce to the instruction of my teachers, but the fixed mindset plagued me for many more years. It wasn't until I met my Jujitsu instructor about 5-6 years ago that I finally broke the fixed mindset outlook when it came to the martial arts. I was put on my back, painfully, over and over again by my instructor and learned, seemingly for the first time, about “emptying my cup” as the saying goes. I had to unlearn about 15 years of martial arts training and absorb, as a beginner, the teachings of my Jujitsu instructor. Let’s just say ice became my best friend.
My fixed mindset even found its way into my guitar studies. I was always a decent guitar player, I guess, but I didn't start growing as a guitarist until I met someone who shattered my view of my skill level while working at my last job. This guy was the most skilled guitarist I had ever met, and I was humbled by his expertise. I’m still no way near his level of guitar playing, but because of the little time I spent with him I am a much better guitarist than before I met him. It was after meeting this person that I decided to start playing with people who were substantially better than I was. I sought out guitarists all over the place and asked to learn from them. I’d walk around Union Square in the city listening to the other musicians; I'd pay real attention to what they were playing and how they were playing it. I’d walk up to a few guitarists who I thought played beautifully and pick their brains. Some were eager to teach and some didn't want to be bothered. All in all, I became good friends with two of the guitarists I met. They still reach out to me and teach me technique and theory, and, when I can, I continue my own independent music study. Growth mindset in action.
I've been sending a lot of my short fiction to professional, established writer friends of mine so that they can criticize and guide me in the hopes that I can be a better writer. A few weeks ago I sent one of my short stories to a writer I work with, and I asked him to be brutal. He read my story and sent me some feedback. I felt like when I was a little kid in school and one of my teachers gave me back one of my writing assignments adorned with her red markings. "Redundant!" "Comma here!" "Be more concise!" "Verb-subject agreement!" Good times. Anyway, my colleague gave me some useful advice and I immediately incorporated his suggestions into some of the stories I've already written. Consequently, I have also asked my uncle, who is an award-winning apologetics writer, to advise me and critique my writing. He’s been generous with his time and constructive with his advice. I will keep badgering him with grammar and syntax questions until he disowns me. It’s a price I’m willing to pay.
So, back to the book. There is a lot of truth in this book, and I’m probably going to read it again soon. At the end of the book there is a chart that outlines the fixed mindset pathway of thinking versus the growth mindset pathway of thinking. It briefly outlines what someone with each mindset would do, or how they would think, given a circumstance. I have printed this chart out and I keep it hanging on my wall in my room so that I can look at it every day. I still have some fixed mindset elements that seem to permeate my thinking, but I’m more cognizant about them now. I’m working toward becoming a fully growth mindset focused person. I’m a work in progress, like most people, so bear with me.
There are a lot of case studies of some great people in this book – Famous athletes, Actors, Politicians, Musicians, Teachers, Coaches – and each case study lends more credence to the author’s message: The Growth Mindset will help you achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. It’s a great book, and I recommend it to anyone struggling with honing his or her skills in anything. The author discusses how the fixed mindset and growth mindset is evident in every facet of life. Whether it is in parenting – how some parents instill a belief in their children that they are geniuses, and these children refuse to grow because they think there is no more growing to be done – or in our professional lives - how to learn from and adapt to unethical and dishonest colleagues (something I live with).
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