When it comes to the human mind, there is still so much to explore and discover. One concept that has gained significant attention in recent years is the growth mindset. This concept challenges the idea that our abilities and intelligence are fixed after a certain point and suggests that our minds are constantly growing and adapting based on our view of intelligence and learning. The growth mindset was first introduced by Stanford University’s Carol Dweck, who talked about this notion and provided solutions for mental stagnation in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

However, it is essential to understand that not everyone who believes they have a growth mindset has a true one. Dweck introduced the concept of the false growth mindset, which is defined as saying you have a growth mindset when you don’t understand what it is, or you haven’t truly embraced it. In other words, people can easily assume that they have a growth mindset because they are aware of its concept, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will not fall for the false growth mindset traps.

The false growth mindset can lead to distorted application of the growth mindset, undeserved praise, and can distort our view of learning. However, there are some dos and don’ts to help differentiate between a true and false growth mindset.

Dos:

1. Change how you praise: How you praise matters to how others interpret it. The key is to focus on praising the process that leads to the outcome. This prevents you from falling into the trap of a false growth mindset, as most mistakenly adopt a fixed mindset and solely focus on praising effort to make themselves feel better.

2. Emphasize learning goals: Focus on setting learning goals instead of performance-based goals like achieving a specific score or grade. The goal is to understand the topic for the sake of it in order to complete a task.

3. Attribute success to effort: While we should be avoiding some effort-based praise, the fact still stands that putting in the effort is crucial to succeeding. You need to incorporate strategies, plans, and set strong goals that will bring you closer to achieving your success.

4. Accept mistakes: Embracing our mistakes is pivotal for growth. Mistakes are part of the process, and without them, we cannot grow or learn.

5. Make mistakes part of the learning model: Incorporate mistakes into the learning process. Instead of grumbling about it, highlight the specific problems you are having, and seek help.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t praise effortless achievement: Don’t focus solely on finishing something as quickly as possible, as it can lead to mistakes, and this does not indicate hard work or learning.

2. Don’t label yourself or others as “smart”: While innate abilities do matter, overestimating their importance can hinder growth. Many people stop actively learning once they have a degree and rely only on their intelligence.

In conclusion, having a true growth mindset requires identifying and avoiding the false growth mindset traps. Incorporating the dos and don’ts mentioned above can help differentiate between a false and a true growth mindset. It takes effort, focus, and determination to embrace a growth mindset and to become a lifelong learner, but it is worth it in the end. The world is constantly evolving and changing, and individuals with a growth mindset are more adaptable and able to stay relevant in their field of work.