No. 307 · Your own mind · General Thinking
Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset
Whether we think ability is fixed or can grow shapes which challenges we take on.
In the Almanac
“Praise for being clever”, 1998 · “Spanx”, 2000
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacQuestions
What is Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset?
A fixed mindset treats talent and intelligence as fixed traits, so failure feels like a verdict and challenges get avoided. A growth mindset treats abilities as developable through effort, strategy and help, so failure becomes feedback.
How do you use Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset?
To build one, praise effort and strategy rather than talent, add the word yet to your self-criticism, and review what you tried and failed at each week. Research suggests modest but real effects.
When does Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset matter?
Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset is one of the 31 mental models for your own mind, the situations where you ask: Is my own thinking leading me astray? Within that, it belongs to “Judging yourself, and your luck”, alongside Birth Lottery, Dunning-Kruger Effect and Imposter Syndrome.
What is an example of Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset?
Two stories show it at work: Praise for being clever (1998) and Spanx (2000). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset?
Deliberate Practice, Pygmalion Effect and Imposter Syndrome. Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset itself comes from general thinking.