dichotomy of mindsets

I came across this very interesting book called ‘Mindset’ authored by renowned Stanford psychology professor Dr. Carol Dweck which shares an extremely powerful message. She illustrates 2 types of mindsets typically possessed by people and the drastic contrast in how they view the world. On one end there is the fixed mindset and on the polar opposite there is the growth mindset. Fixed mindset individuals are heavily concerned about their image in the eyes of others. Fixed mindset individuals are afraid of failure and taking risks which prevents them from learning. Growth mindset individuals are constantly learning even if it comes at the cost of failing or appearing subpar in the eyes of others. Another interesting distinction between the two mindsets is on how they view their own capabilities. Fixed mindset individuals believes that a person’s ability is limited and more or less set in stone with no scope for changing even if they want to. Growth mindset individuals believe that their mind has infinite potential that can enable them to learn and accomplish anything they want if they put in the time and effort. This perspective on mindsets is very interesting as we all start out as growth mindset individuals early on during our childhood where we are naturally very curious but gradually and unknowingly transition into becoming fixed mindset individuals as we move into adulthood where we have a weaker urge to learn. The scientific basis behind the possibility of growth mindset with infinite potential to learn and grow revolves around the neurobiological phenomenon of neuroplasticity. Any specific skill we possess arises due to a certain neural pathway or ‘fold’ in the brain and neuroplasticity states that our brain is an infinitely moldable ‘clay’ of sorts on which new folds of any nature corresponding to any skill can be consciously created. So, the key difference between growth and fixed mindset individuals from a neurobiological point of view, lies in their ability to mold and construct new neural pathways in the brain. The core message relayed by Dr Dweck to the readers is to deeply understand this inherent duality of mindsets and pave an informative path for us to shift towards consciously adopting a growth mindset as it enables us to truly unlock our full potential and deliver highest possible impact we can to the world.