1: Stanford professor Dr. Carol Dweck and her colleagues administered a nonverbal IQ test to two groups of adolescents
Afterwards, one group was praised for their intelligence (“You must be smart!”).
The other was praised for their effort (“You must have worked really hard!”).
The researchers then administered a second test with a harder set of problems.
“The intelligence-praised children performed worse,” Sahil Bloom writes in his book The 5 Types of Wealth, “while the effort-praised children performed better on the second set.”
In subsequent activities, “those praised for their intelligence avoided challenging new tasks,” Sahil notes, “while those praised for their effort sought out the challenging tasks as new learning opportunities.”
In another study, Carol administered a series of puzzle tests to four hundred young children.
“The children who were praised for their intelligence after completing the first puzzle,” he writes, “were less likely to choose a challenging puzzle for the next test than their peers who were praised for their effort.”
2: Later, Carol “drew upon her extensive body of research to build a generalized model for how our beliefs about ourselves—in particular the belief in our ability to grow, improve, and change—affects every area of our lives,” Sahil shares.
Carol’s research suggests there are two core mindsets:
- The fixed mindset assumes ability, intelligence, and character are set and do not change.
- The growth mindset assumes that ability, intelligence, and character evolve over time.
“The fixed mindset is grounded in the central belief that everything about who you are as an individual is immutable—set in stone,” Sahil writes. “This belief has wide-ranging implications for how we work, live, and even love.
“The fixed mindset,” he notes, “creates a hunger for external affirmation, rewards, and approval, a deep fear of failure and rejection, and a flawed conclusion that if things aren’t good now, they never will be.”
The growth mindset adopts a very different perspective.
It “is grounded in the central belief that everything about who we are as individuals is malleable—that sincere effort can cultivate change, growth, and continuous improvement,” Sahil explains.
“The growth mindset,” he notes, “creates a focus on intrinsic motivation, inputs, and process, an embrace of failure as learning, and a fundamental belief that starting circumstances do not determine final outcomes.
“Those who adopt a growth mindset are prepared to face life’s inevitable challenges with a positive, optimistic, and resilient outlook,” Sahil writes. “They are able to work at things, personally and professionally, because they understand that good things are . . . earned through effort.”
3: Benjamin Franklin would have had a spectacular LinkedIn profile.
“During his life,” Sahil observes, Ben “built a media empire, helped craft the earliest founding documents of the United States, and invented the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, and much more.”
Ben’s contributions across a wide spectrum of disciplines are truly impressive.
“In his daily schedule,” Sahil notes, “he dedicated an hour every single morning to learning.”
This practice is one adopted by many of the planet’s highest achievers, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Warren Buffett, all of whom dedicate time each day to learning and growth.
“Growth is how you stay ahead of the forces of nature that conspire against us,” Sahil writes. “The pursuit of improvement is a courageous act in a world where most people avoid friction at all costs.”
Spending time each day investing in learning is a practice we can all adopt. It is a mindset, not an intrinsic aptitude.
As Carol Dweck says, “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view we adopt for ourselves profoundly affects the way we lead our lives. It can determine whether we become the person we want to be and whether we accomplish the things we value.”
Or, as Mahatma Gandhi recommends: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
More tomorrow!
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Reflection: How often do I consciously choose the growth mindset by praising effort, seeking challenges, and viewing setbacks as fuel for learning?
Action: Set aside at least 30 minutes tomorrow for deliberate learning—reading, practicing, or reflecting—and identify one way to apply that new insight in daily life.