It is a mistake to believe that a human’s brain reaches its peak of development in childhood. On the contrary, a brain changes throughout life because it, as a rule, reacts to experience and can be overwritten due to education (Smith, 2020). In brief, a lot depends on how people look at the world, what attitudes they set for themselves, and what direction they think.
Carol Dweck, a psychologist from Stanford University, was one of the first in the world to study the motivational component of human consciousness, especially emphasizing the analysis of successes and failures. According to Carol Dweck’s work, people think about their potential through a fixed or growth mindset (Smith, 2020). Considering fixed thinking, some individuals believe that their intelligence is static rather than dynamic. In contrast, relying on growth thinking, people suppose that intellect and talents can be improved, enhanced, and “reprogrammed” through efforts, continuous learning, strategies, persistence, and resilience.
Therefore, in a simplified sense, people are divided into two types: some are ready to change and act outside the box, while others are used to working more according to a ready-made template. People with fixed thinking are more likely to use their usual methods and strategies. On the contrary, people determined to grow and make positive changes are ready for defeats and are always open to new things. In addition, people striving for growth have the most active brain, mainly when they are given advice and help to improve, and people with fixed thinking like when they are provided with all the information about work.
It is vital to encourage the development of a growth mindset since this type of thinking has many positive sides, beneficially affecting a person’s motivation, efficiency, and productivity. It reduces burnout and minimizes behavioral and psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression (Smith, 2020). People easily overcome failures because they perceive them as an experience. Generally, a person can switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. In this case, it is necessary to think positively, reward a process, receive feedback, get out of a comfort zone, be ready for new things, and learn to accept failures.
Reference
Smith, J. (2020). Growth mindset vs fixed mindset: How what you think affects what you achieve. Mindset Health. Web.