Mindset: The New
Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck
1) What was the
general theme or argument of the book?
Our Mindset shapes whether we believe we can learn, change
and grow- or not. As human beings we
have little control over our bodies features without plastic surgery. Our mindset plays a crucial role in how we
see ourselves and others.
The book explains two different mindsets- (1) fixed and (2)
growth.
People with fixed mindset believe they are born naturally
gifted at doing certain things and are limited, or incapable of doing other
things. They believe natural talent is
king and set in stone at birth. They continuously seek approval and avoid difficulties.
2.
People with a growth mindset continue to acquire
new skills and believe they can perform anything, if they try hard enough. They welcome problems and see them as challenges,
not impossible tasks. Thy continuously
seek development and relish n difficult situations.
Mindset development begins at birth and parents set a
mindset example for their kids. Teachers
also have a lot of influence. Our mindset
is not predetermined and can change as we adopt the mindsets of our role models. It is important to understand that a fixed
mindset is not easy to kick. It has
likely fostered into an emotional crutch.
2) How did the book,
in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
The book really highlighted the power of tenacity for
me. If you are tenacious and adopt, and
practice a growth mindset, you can push through the barriers and enjoy success.
3) If you had to
design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that
exercise involve?
I would design an exercise that was extremely challenging
and that many would fail at the first time.
I would then let them repeat the exercise several more times and then
have the individuals share how they felt during the exercise and hopefully
reveal the differences between growth and fixed mindsets. I would then ask them to do the exercise again,
hoping to observe the highest success rate by the class.
4) What was your
biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what
did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
I think the biggest surprise in this book was the story of
Lee Iacocca. The author described his
success turning around Chrysler from the brink of collapse. He then began to admire his own success and
become focused on his own image at the expense of the company’s welfare. It became his sole objective and he was stuck
in a fixed mindset.
Hello Mario,
ReplyDeleteI thought your exercise was quite creative and would be helpful in teaching students how to keep trying despite failures and to learn to open their minds to new ideas. It reminds me of what the professor has been doing this year with teaching us about time management and perseverance. I believe the qualities you are trying to invoke through the design of your exercise is a good one. I enjoyed reading your "aha" moment too. It made me wonder what is more important: the image of yourself or the image of the thing you leave behind (the product of your hands/vision)? Everyone must ask themselves which is more important: their life or their legacy.
Hello Mario,
ReplyDeleteYour reflection really provided a deep insight on what the book is about as well as how that relates to you. I agree with your overall theme that a mindset of determination is truly beneficial for overcoming difficulties and obstacles. Your assignment that you created would indeed teach the students that it's okay that failure happened, what matters next is how you improve from it and learn from your mistakes.
Hey Mario,
ReplyDeleteReading your reflection on Mindset was very interesting and I appreciated your reflection on this book. My book was somewhat similar, since a healthy mindset on life and business is essential to success. I especially appreciated seeing the other similarities that our books shared. Overall, your reflection was very informative and really taught me a lot, thank you. Keep up the good work!