[Neurons] 2018 Neurons #8 THINKING--- FIXED AND GROWTH

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2019 Neurons #8

February 18, 2019

 

THINKING: FIXED AND GROWTH

 

There are many, many ways to think about thinking.  Some years ago Carol
Dweck introduced the growth-fixed mindset distinctions.  These "mindsets,"
as she called them, were two different styles or patterns of thinking.
While her area of application was, to a great extent, education and how
students think about some of the components of learning, she described her
research of some three decades as a systematic approach to answering the
question: 

"Why do some people achieve their potentials while other equally talented
people do not?"

 

Her final conclusion was that the answer did not lie in ability, but in the
mindset that people operated from.  One mindset or thinking style looked at
personal ability as something inherent (a given) and needs to be
demonstrated.  The other thinking style viewed personal ability as something
that could be developed.  It was not a given, it was a potential.

 

Contrasting the Fixed and Growth Thinking Patterns

In the NLP meta-programs this is the Aristotelian (static) thinking pattern
and the Systemic thinking pattern (Meta-Program #8).  Do you see the world
as static- permanent, solid, fixed, or do you see it as dynamic, fluid,
changing.  Do you think in terms of Either/Or or Both/And?

 

If you have the fixed thinking or mindset, your way of thinking about
intelligence, challenges, obstacles, criticism, and the success of others
seriously interferes with your ability to handle the everyday challenges of
life-both at home and at work.

You view intelligence as static.  This leads to a desire to look smart and
to avoid challenges because a challenge might question or undermine your
intelligence.  You believe "This is the way I am."  Because a challenge
could be difficult and because success is not assured, rather than risk
failing, a fixed thinker avoids challenges.  You stick to what you know you
can do well.

 

You view obstacles as things to avoid.  If a challenge is something that you
can decide to do, then an obstacle would be an external force that gets in
your way.   And if things are fixed, then your effort will not really make a
difference.  It is useless or worse.  Your attitude becomes, "What's the
point of working hard and exerting effort if it doesn't make a difference?"
With this thinking pattern you see effort as an unpleasant experience that
doesn't pay any real dividends.  You then think that the best thing to do is
to avoid it!

 

You see criticism as negative and hurtful.  With the fixed thinking pattern
you hear criticism of behavior or skills as criticism of you as a person.
This personalizing then discourages you so that you do not even want to hear
it.  After all, things are fixed and they are the way they are.

 

You see the success of others as threatening.   You believe that, "The
success of others makes me look bad."  To defend against this, as the fixed
thinker you try to convince yourself that the other's success was by luck,
who they knew, etc.  You do your best to explain it away.  That's because
you interpret the success of others as diminishing you.  Therefore you
easily fall victim to jealous and envy.

 

Those with the growth mindset or thinking pattern sees their own skills and
abilities as open to change and development.  Neither their intelligence,
competencies, nor future is fixed.  This way of thinking enables you to see
things in an entirely different way.

You see intelligence as something that can be improved and developed.  This
leads you to want to learn and to embrace challenges.  You think, "The brain
is like a muscle that can be trained."

 

You see challenge as a means for improvement.  Therefore you embrace
challenges as that which moves you out of your comfort zone as you step up
to the next level of development. 

 

You see a set-back or obstacle as a challenge.  An external obstacle is just
something to deal with and conquer, not something to give in to.  You
distinguish between yourself as a person and what you do.  Person and
behavior are two very different phenomena.  

 

You see effort as the means to success.  For you, effort is the key for
growing and developing.  You think that it is the quality of effort that
makes the difference and so you fully embrace effort.

 

You hear criticism as a source of useful information.  Because criticism is
not about you as a person, but what you do or the expression of a skill -
you treat it as holding valuable information which you can use to get
better.  You know that others can often see and recognize what you may be
blind to.

 

You celebrate the success of others as a source of inspiration and
information.  As others succeed, as a growth thinker, you use that to
motivate yourself to go for it as well.  It provides information about how
to do it and inspiration that it can be done.

 

Because how you think makes a big difference in your life, fixed thinkers
need a cognitive make-over.  That's because, with a static cognitive map-
change becomes a threat and to be corrected becomes an existential threat to
your very being.

For further reading:

              Executive Thinking (2018)

              Winning the Inner Game (2007)

              Neuro-Semantics (2012)

 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director 

Neuro-Semantics 

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO. 81520 USA                             

               1 970-523-7877 

                    Dr. Hall's email:
<mailto:meta at acsol.net\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505\loch\f31506> meta at acsol.net


    cid:261CED33-4408-4124-862B-B9A4B37A367A

    

 

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