Reading Reflection No. 2

For the second reading assignment, I read Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.

1.     The general argument of the book was that there are two types of mindsets: fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. People with fixed mindsets think that abilities are fixed and cannot change and tend to be risk-adverse, respond negatively to any criticism or challenges, and rely on outside validation. Conversely, people with growth mindsets think that abilities can grow and change, and they typically are not afraid of failure, put effort into learning and bettering themselves, seek out challenges, and respond positively to criticism or setbacks. Most people embody one mindset more than the other, and the mindset they have shapes how they see and react to the world. We also have the power to change our mindset and therefore our worldview.

2.     The book enhanced what this class has taught me about effort and learning. In this class, we receive feedback and criticism on every assignment. We have to learn from the feedback and use it to improve. Learning how to adopt a growth mindset helps us respond to criticism in more positive ways and therefore learn more from it. Starting your own business is dealing with one challenge or hurdle after another, over and over. Adopting a growth mindset helps entrepreneurs learn from these challenges and face them with excitement and renewed effort rather than dread. To succeed, entrepreneurs must adopt a growth mindset where effort and hard work are seen as givens, criticism is welcomed, and every challenge is viewed as an opportunity.

3.     If I had to design a class exercise based on this book, I would probably create a questionnaire to help people determine if they have a more fixed or growth mindset. Since acknowledging a problem is the first step to eventually fixing it, helping people with fixed mindsets recognize that they actually have fixed mindsets is essential to actually creating change and cultivating a growth mindset.

4.     I think my biggest “aha” moment while reading this book was realizing that I have a more fixed mindset. While I did not fit some aspects of the fixed mindset, like the aversion to putting effort into tasks, I was much closer to the fixed mindset than I expected to be, especially in terms of my “intelligence mindset.” Recognizing that I was someone who needed to work on cultivating a growth mindset helped me get more out of the book, which will hopefully translate into me being a better individual.