Probably most people know the story about the turtle and the rabbit, in which the rabbit
laughed at the turtle because of his slowness.
But to his surprise, the turtle challenged the rabbit to a race.
Initially, the rabbit thought the turtle was joking, but he wasn’t, so he accepted the
challenge.
As everyone expected, it didn’t take long before the rabbit was far ahead in the race.
Overconfident, he decided to stop halfway and take a nap, believing that even when the
turtle passed him by, he would still easily win.
But when the rabbit awoke from his slumber, he realized he had slept much longer than
planned.
In a panic, he hurried to the finish line, where he discovered that the turtle had already
won.
The conventional wisdom behind this story is that one should never underestimate a weaker
opponent and that overconfidence could lead to one’s downfall.
But there’s more to this story.
The rabbit relied on its innate characteristics, mainly his speed while maintaining an attitude
of arrogance.
The turtle, however, having all odds against him, did not rely on natural talents and abilities.
He embodies persistence, discipline, effort, and determination.
Of course, if the rabbit hadn’t fallen asleep, the turtle would probably have stood no chance
against him, so the example shows the clashing of two extremes.
But it does remind us that success isn’t solely dependent on one’s inherent advantages
but can also be achieved through persistence and continuous improvement.
The rabbit represented a ‘fixed’ mindset, thinking that because rabbits are fast and
turtles are slow, the turtle couldn’t possibly win.
The turtle, although his chances were small, had a ‘growth’ mindset, relying on effort
and attitude, trying something challenging despite the enormous likelihood of failure.
And at the end of the day, the turtle didn’t just win the race; he did something unexpected.
The growth mindset allowed the turtle to do something he’d never have done if he had
a fixed mindset.
The turtle was willing to fail but tried it anyway.
He embraced failure (which was almost inevitable), but that didn’t stop him from taking up
the challenge.
The sole fact that this creature finished a race is a tremendous achievement on its
own, in which he stretched himself beyond his innate capabilities.
This video explores growth and fixed mindsets and why you can probably do more than you
think.
Imagine a person with above-average intelligence and a natural inclination for many skills:
from athleticism to creativity to understanding complex ideas.
His often-experienced effortless success made him believe that his talents alone would guarantee
his success.
So, as opposed to many less gifted people, he didn’t work to improve himself but focused
more on proving his innate brilliance.
Over time, he became complacent.
He was resistant to feedback and felt too arrogant to engage in something like personal
growth.
His attitude eventually hindered his success, and seeing less naturally talented people
achieving more than him made him resentful and bitter.
This individual represents the ‘fixed mindset,’ unlike a growth mindset.
It’s fixed because he believes that his talents are sufficient to get ahead in life
and that he doesn’t need any improvement because of them.
He also couldn’t conceive that less talented people could become more successful and skillful
simply through effort and hard work.
We can find the dichotomy of the growth and fixed mindset in a book written by Psychologist
Carol Dweck named ‘Mindset.’
Dweck invented the concept of the growth and fixed mindset and described how the latter
holds us back from achieving things that actually lie within our reach.
People with a fixed mindset rely on their innate talents and characteristics and experience
an inner resistance toward developing new features or skills they don’t already have
or lack a natural talent for.
I quote:
Actually, people with the fixed mindset expect ability to show up on its own, before any
learning takes place.
After all, if you have it you have it, and if you don’t you don’t.
End quote.
In her book, Dweck distinguishes students with growth and fixed mindsets based on how
they approach specific tasks.
She observed that students with fixed mindsets only stayed interested in a particular activity
when they did it well right away.
But when they encountered difficulties, their interest and enjoyment dropped.
According to Dweck, people with fixed mindsets aren’t interested in growth and personal
development when they face challenges.
They’re interested in confirmation of their innate talents, be it intelligence, physical
beauty, skills, or anything else they have that distinguishes them from others.
They take up challenges not to learn and grow but to show the world and themselves how good
they are.
We can see this with the rabbit, who doesn’t treat the challenge as a means to personal
growth at all, as he doesn’t put in any effort to improve himself and even takes a
nap halfway.
I quote:
When people with the fixed mindset opt for success over growth, what are they really
trying to prove?
That they’re special.
Even superior.
When we asked them, “When do you feel smart?”
so many of them talked about times they felt like a special person, someone who was different
from and better than other people.
End quote.
A fixed mindset is reluctant to change.
People with such attitudes avoid challenges and believe that their potential is predetermined
(and, thus, don’t hold the power of change and self-improvement in high regard); those
without talents cannot develop them.
For them, there’s no point in trying what the turtle did because, firstly, turtles are
not made for races, and secondly, the chances of winning are next to nothing, and by challenging
a rabbit to a race, the turtle will make a fool out of himself.
So, why even bother?
Thoughts associated with a fixed mindset are:
“I can’t do this.”
“I give up.”
“It’s too hard.”
“I can’t do better than this.”
“I’m very good at this.”
“I’ll never be as smart as her.”
“This just doesn’t suit me.”
The growth mindset assumes that we can develop talents and abilities through dedication,
practice, and continuous improvement; they’re not fixed.
Challenges and setbacks are not to be feared but opportunities for growth and learning,
so people with a growth mindset accept challenges, as they see them as ways of personal development.
Therefore, they embrace failure; they don’t experience it as an attack on their ego but
simply as a stepping stone toward success.
They also welcome feedback and criticism, as these messages can help them grow, unlike
those with a fixed mindset who see it as a threat to their ego.
Whereas other people’s success threatens a fixed mindset, a growth mindset is inspired
by it.
Dweck observed that people with growth mindsets generally do better than those with a fixed
mindset because those willing and enthusiastic to learn don’t let preconceived notions
of themselves and their capabilities stop them.
Whereas those with fixed mindsets believe that their trajectories in life are fixed,
based on their inherent nature, those with growth mindsets believe that because they
can develop themselves, they can significantly impact their future.
Through hard work and determination, they stretch themselves beyond their capabilities,
attaining goals that were previously out of reach.
I quote:
People in a growth mindset don’t just seek challenge, they thrive on it.
The bigger the challenge, the more they stretch.
And nowhere can it be seen more clearly than in the world of sports.
You can just watch people stretch and grow.
End quote.
During her talk at Google, Dweck specifically addressed the case of intelligence.
We’ve generally assumed that intelligence is a fixed trait.
The height of one’s intelligence is typically measured in childhood at school, and based
on that measurement, teachers tend to determine the child’s future path.
But evidence shows that even though there are individual differences in intellect, intelligence
can be developed through practice, training, and methods.
It’s not always that the people who start out the smartest end up the smartest.
People with growth mindsets focus on the challenge instead of the outcome; they believe that
personal development and stretching themselves beyond their limits is more important than
success or maintaining an appearance of, let’s say, an intelligent student or a talented
artist.
The slogan “stay in your lane” has no meaning for them, as they aren’t afraid
of switching lanes or even taking the nearest exit, even if it doesn’t bring them to a
specific destination.
I quote:
The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.
They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues.
Maybe they haven’t found the cure for cancer, but the search was deeply meaningful.
End quote.
So, someone with a growth mindset embraces both challenges and failure, believes that
skills and attributes can be developed, and doesn’t easily throw in the towel.
This individual is also more resilient than someone with a fixed mindset because of their
trust in the process and belief that practice and effort will eventually lead to progress.
Thoughts associated with a growth mindset are:
“I can’t do this yet, but how can I improve?”
“I’m trying a different approach” “This will take time and effort.”
“I’ll keep improving myself.”
“I’m on the right track.”
“How did she do it?”
“How can I develop this skill?”
Why do many people rather avoid challenges and stagnate instead of accepting challenges
that could lead to personal growth?
Why would someone be so opposed to criticism, even though the key to improvement could be
hiding within?
It seems that people’s ‘ego’ plays a significant role here.
One of the problems with a fixed mindset is the unwillingness to fail.
But if you refuse to be a fool, learning something new is impossible.
Because to learn something new, you’ll have to start at rookie levels; you have to be
a fool, at least for a while, before you’re headed toward mastery.
But for someone with a fixed mindset, success is the most crucial element of any activity;
what’s the point without it?
Dweck argues that in the fixed mindset, failing (or not being the best) means that all has
been wasted.
I quote:
Clearly, people with the growth mindset thrive when they’re stretching themselves.
When do people with the fixed mindset thrive?
When things are safely within their grasp.
If things get too challenging—when they’re not feeling smart or talented—they lose
interest.
End quote.
A fixed mindset means clarity, stability, consistency, and the safety of maintaining
the status quo.
Change can be terrifying: it means that we charter new, unknown territory in which we
might not be sure if we can rely on our current skill set.
The unknown will challenge a self-image of superiority; we won’t be so smart and intelligent
in areas we’re not experts at, and so a genius philosopher will be a fool as a construction
worker.
Especially if we’re attached to a certain self-image that tells us we’re the best,
then going to places we’re not could be a terrifying and uncomfortable prospect.
Hence, many people rather stay where they are: safe and secure, congruent with how they
see themselves.
The growth mindset can help us look past our limiting beliefs and make a realistic inventory
of our possibilities for personal growth.
Overall, that’s a positive thing, mainly because most people probably tend to underestimate
the value and effectiveness of hard work.
In many cases, skills and attributes can be developed through effort.
Moreover, the growth mindset isn’t just for grinders and hyper-ambitious people; it
can also benefit those who want to overcome fears and other impediments.
Having a fixed mindset, however, obstructs us from doing all that.
But, in my opinion, embracing the concept of the growth mindset could pose some threats
as well, which doesn’t devalue the idea of the growth mindset per se, but, rather,
the way people apply it.
We could, for example, fall into the trap of overestimating our abilities.
Even though we can stretch ourselves beyond the confines of our innate capacities, there’s
probably a limit as well.
In all likelihood, a 40-year-old without any soccer experience or history of soccer practice
will not be able to play soccer professionally for, let’s say, Manchester City.
Some things we just cannot reach.
Just like the turtle and the rabbit, the turtle may train hours a week but will biologically
not surpass the rabbit’s top speed.
If he thinks that goal is realistic, he’s deluding himself; however, that doesn’t
mean the turtle cannot improve.
So, there is the threat of setting unrealistic expectations and so-called ‘false positivity.’
Nevertheless, the growth mindset is an eye-opening and helpful concept that could help us eliminate
irrational limiting beliefs and push our boundaries, going places we never expected to go and rid
ourselves of unwanted attributes we believe we were stuck with.
There’s beauty in picking up challenges that push us into new territory just for the
sake of it, showing ourselves and others that hard work pays off.
Overall, you can probably do more than you think.
Thank you for watching.