Most people don’t like change. It makes them nervous and they do not like the feeling of uncertainty. This is true even when the anticipated change is positive. My school has gone through quite a bit of change this year with a new Head of School and some new administrators. The staff has responded positively and has embraced the changes we have made, enjoying a fresh outlook to the future. But in the last few months, we have naturally gotten used to things and now as we look forward to next year and some more administrative changes and some curricular changes, some of us are nervous once again.

Much has been written about the Growth Mindset over the last few years, but I have only read tidbits and watched TED talks that discuss it. I thought that this would be a good topic to explore for a few weeks and as I began to read Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset,” I began to learn so much about myself.

Some people believe that we are each born with a preset level of intelligence and that is what we have to work with. Dweck’s reseach proves that is not the case. With practice, training and method, we have the ability to increase our attention, memory, judgement and intelligence.

Even Alfred Binet, the creator of the IQ test did not intend the test to be an indicator of some absolute intelligence. It was designed to identify children that were not thriving in the French public school system so alternative educational environments could be created.

Dweck describes two kinds of people, those with a fixed mindset and those with a growth mindset. Here is how she describes each:

1. A Fixed Mindset creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you only have a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality and a certain moral character, then you better prove you have a healthy dose of them. These are people who are constantly trying to prove themselves in the classroom, in their careers, in their relationships. Every situation calls for confirmation of their intelligence, personality or character. Will I succeed? Will I look dumb? Will I be accepted?

2. A person with a Growth Mindset believes his basic qualities are there to be cultivated through his efforts. His potential is unknown. Who knows what he can do with years of practice, passion and training? These people are looking to grow, they are not threatened by challenges or failure; they embrace them as opportunities for growth.

Some examples of people who clearly had a growth mindset include: Darwin who was considered an ordinary child. Ben Hogan was an uncoordinated child and became one of the world’s greatest golfers. Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team and then he worked and worked and became the best player of all time. These people could never have become who they became if they had a fixed mindset.

How can you tell what mindset a person has? Dweck suggests looking at a person’s attitude when presented with a puzzle, do they constantly choose the challenging kind or do they stick with something safe, one they know they can complete?

At the University of Hong Kong, everything is in English. Classes, textbooks and exams. But some students are not fluent in English so it would make sense for them to take a basic English course when they get there. Some chose to take the course, others did not. But the interesting thing was they measured their mindset by asking them how much they agreed with statements like: “You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you can’t really do much to change it.” People who agree with this statement are of a fixed mindset. Those students did not elect to take the remedial English class. While those who disagreed with the statement and believe you can always change how intelligent you are, they believe success is about learning. They have a growth mindset. They were not threatened and chose to take the remedial English class.

Another example could be a person who in the same day that you got a C+ on a paper and got a traffic ticket. Someone with a fixed mindset would say, “I’d feel like a reject.” “I am a total failure.” They look at the glass half empty. When life has its challenges, they think, “My life is pitiful,” “I have no life,” “The world is out to get me.” These people do not necessarily have low self esteem for when they are successful, they do feel good. But in this scenario they didn’t even get an F, and it was only a parking ticket, not a total car wreck, etc. Someone with a growth mindset might say, “ I need to try harder in class, be more careful when parking the car, etc.”

The main indicator is whether a person is threatened about failure and challenge or do they see them as opportunities for growth. There is a lot more to explore, but based on what we have said so far, which type of mindset do you have?