Have you ever had a time where you take your first test for a class and you completely bomb it? I’m sure most of us have had that moment once in our life, and just left you feeling like there is no hope for your grade for the rest of the year in your class. This type of thinking is known as a fixed mindset. According to Carol Dweck, a researcher in personality and social psychology, a fixed mindset is where "people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change." This type of mindset is toxic to your lifestyle and affects you negatively as you grow older. Unfortunately, this mindset plagues many of our ways of thinking, which ultimately leads to constant failure. Alternatively, the opposite of a fixed mindset is known as a growth mindset. Once again, according to Dweck, a growth mindset is when "people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience." The growth mindset takes time and effort to achieve. However, this mindset is what mainly helps lead you to a successful route to whatever obstacle you aim to overcome. Let's say you have a test that you studied for well enough, but you did not get the score you hoped to achieve. A person with a fixed mindset would leave them feeling hopeless, unmotivated, and angry with the outcome. This can affect their knowledge negatively and affect the tests they take in the future unfavorably. A growth mindset would rather accept the score they received and focus on what went wrong on their test. They would then learn from it and figure out ways to be more prepared for the next one. The key difference between these two situations is the persistence and commitment to accomplish a better score. Having a growth mindset does not only need to be applied to academics but your everyday life, such as relationships, sports, and your future career.
Life is difficult, and it is only going to get tougher as we transition from high school to college.
More obstacles are going to appear in each of our lives, and the best way to overcome them is to
maintain a growth mindset. Sure, there will be multiple instances where you fail, and it is
inevitable. Keeping the growth mindset will help you look past these failures and move forward.
The main problem with having a fixed mindset, is people tend to continue looking in the
rearview mirror. They focus on what happened in the past, and not what is going on right in
front of them. Being optimistic and thankful for the things you have can help you look past
those mistakes. We need to learn from our past mistakes and grow from them. Every loss is a
lesson to help you become more successful. When you do succeed, focus on what you did right
and continue to do it daily so you can perfect it and minimize failure. Everyone can be
successful, it just takes the willingness to change your mindset to get your journey started on
your path to success.
Jonah, I agree with you on this piece. It is very informative and shows how a growth mindset is necessary for success. It follows the idea of accepting and learning from failures and the diction motivates the reader to follow through with this mindset. As we are graduating soon, this topic is very relevant to us as it prepares us for the future to come. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI think your right about how we have to change our mindset to better ourselves. Since our mind is what helps us determine who we are as an individual and the choices we make. I would say that you said your opinion which is good and not just follow through. You related it with a test and it is soon true how everyone doubts themselves after they fail that one test, especially if it has a significant impact on our grade. Good piece
ReplyDeleteThis was very well written, and I completely agree with what was stated. The idea of accepting failure is where we fail. And this was addressed perfectly. We should learn from our failures instead and this makes everything a mental game. - Shrey
ReplyDeleteI really liked the analogy you used about not growing and looking in the rearview mirror. It is important that you remind others that failure is not end all.
ReplyDeleteAmazing job shedding light on this topic! I am definitely guilty of having a fixed mindset in several situations. However, with the detail you achieved in this piece, it has the power to leave a positive impact.
ReplyDeleteyou started off the piece relating to t the reader and it instantly draws them in and i agree when you say we have to change our mindsets to better ourself and help to find our maturity and our personalities and choices we make. Great piece. Very relatable.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you pointed this out, and I completely agree with you. People, especially students, tend to focus so much on the end result that we don't focus on the path we took to get there or what happens afterwards. We need to work harder on bouncing back from mistakes than trying to avoid them and crashing when they happen. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece using a psychological concept to address a problem many individuals face. Having a strong mindset is critical to success, but I would think it would be hard to adopt one. I believe having an encouraging support system does help and this piece does help with that. Great work.
ReplyDeletePeople aren't really aware of their own mindset, and I think a lot of us in school have a fixed mindset, but we don't focus on changing it since we don't realize how toxic it can be for us. Showing the growth mindset gives us hope and awareness of what we can strive for still. - Victoria Giliberto
ReplyDeleteI like how you chose to define a word like "mindset" that is often overused and contrast the two types: growth and fixed. It is a very relatable topic, especially in this point of our lives as graduating seniors. - Serina Ko
ReplyDeleteThis kind of mindset is crucial for success. I see a lot of kids today with this "I'm not gonna do good, so why even try?" Your piece shows that even if a person fails, the point is to learn from any failure and use it to motivate you. Your piece captured that well Jonah!
ReplyDeleteThis explanation provided scientific context and reassurance for myself, as well as other students who may feel inclined to give up on a class after one failure. Thank you for this piece!
ReplyDelete- Andrew Kim
This piece is so relatable in so many ways. As someone who gets nervous for many things and my self confidence isn't really great, having a great mindset is super important to becoming a better person. You regain confidence that you have lost and you become more sure of what you are doing which allows you to do better in many things. -Chris Vergara
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you described the flaws of having a fixed mindset. Sometimes it is the correct idea, but it can also lead someone in the wrong direction.Good job! - nathan
ReplyDeleteThis piece is prevalent to what is occurring in our lives. I think it was inspirational to hear this before we move on with our lives and go off to school. The entire piece is motivating and inspires people to keep moving forward no matter how hard it is. -Nikki Cisneros
ReplyDeleteYour topic about mindset being fixed versus growth is very motivational. The piece gives reason to believe that we can do better only if we believe that we can improve. The example of the test is perfect to explain the differences between the two mindsets and their results.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is so relevant to our current situation. I enjoyed the hook you used at the start of your piece as I used to feel unmotivated to do better after I would fail a test. However, as I got older and more committed to my academic goals I realized my attitude needed to change in order to succeed and I therefore eventually attained a growth mindset. Another aspect of your piece I enjoyed was how you related the growth midnset as vital to not only academics but relationships. In order to have a healthy and successful relationship one must accept their partner's mistakes and forgive in order to grow. Overall this was a great piece as we move on to the next chapters in life. -Samantha Tabula
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you said about the "fixed mindset" and your writing of the "growth mindset" really shines especially since that is the best mindset to be in. Great Job!-Everett Avila
ReplyDeleteJonah, good job on your piece. Love how you started off with a hook that many people can relate to so you can get their attention and then correlate it to what your main idea of your piece is. I agree with what you said about becoming intelligent doesn't happen over time, it happens with time and effort from yourself. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning about the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. It allowed me to explore within myself how I address issues and problems and which mindset I myself possess. I loved the optimism and elements of growth within this piece. Great job!
ReplyDeleteAn idea worth hearing. I appreciate the effort that went into this piece and analyzing what a growth mindset is and what a difference it could make.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your thoughts about a fixed mindset. I myself struggle with changing my mindset and thinking more positively, so I'm glad you wrote about this, as I'm sure many other students can relate. I appreciate that you brought up how to change your mentality for the better, especially considering the times that we are living in right now. All in all, I think you did a great job with this piece!
ReplyDelete- Andrea Sordo
This allowed me to think about what type of mindset I have currently. Thanks to your piece i am sure a lot of people are already of ways to have a better and optimistic mindset.- Kyra Perry
ReplyDeleteGreat piece. Especially in these difficult times, finding a way to maintain a school like mindset in the comfort of home, this piece reminded me that I have the power to respond and react to what life throws at me. With school and handling life at home, a fixed mindset is the last thing I want. Great job.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really good piece. I love how you grabbed my attention from the start and i didnt want to stop reading. And i completely agree with everything you said especially the "Fixed mindset".
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the idea of how many of life's obstacles can be overcome with the correct mindset. This was a very motivational piece, and I feel it is very relevant, especially now. -- Gilberto Diaz
ReplyDeleteI felt this piece was great because of how it started off along with how you described your mindset as a whole and having a supporting background does help in that regard. Great job!
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece! It's interesting to learn that there was such an idea such as this going around and how it plagues the minds of many to such a grave extent! Your piece not only uncovered these ideas, but also motivated those that read it! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteJonah, you picked an excellent topic to discuss in your piece. Especially during these tough times, I think we all can relate to this topic. We need to learn how to have that growth mindset and move past the negative to be able to focus on the positive things that the future will bring. Great job!
ReplyDeleteJonah, your very well spoken throughout this piece and give very good advice on the idea of failure. Your piece truly gave a deeper undertanding into the idea of failure and how to grow from it and not let it control you. - Jeovany Ventura
ReplyDeleteI really like this piece because it was able to show the difference of people’s mindset. I agree with your statement that the best way to overcome obstacles is to have a growth mindset. I feel if people have a fixed mindset they won’t be able to accomplish what they want and you really touched on this perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you brought evidence of the results of both the fixed and growth mindset and how the growth mindset is more beneficial. Over the years I have also trie to instill a growth mindset in my everyday life and your piece just reminded me of what I need to work on.
ReplyDeleteJobah! Great topic and great information to back it up. I think too often people forget that their mindset is vital to the way they view life. If you choose to be upset about something then you allow yourself to ruin anything around you.
ReplyDelete-Leah Robbins
This piece has so much positive energy! I love that! Most people see failure as a set back but in reality it is something that can propel you forward, make you a better person and help you grow. If you let something upset you, it always will. Good work Jonah!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well written piece! I really liked how you explained the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. I feel like people base most of their decisions off of a fixed mindset and its so important to pick yourself back up after something bad happens and learn from it. - Lauren Valencia
ReplyDeleteYou just put my thoughts into a whole essay. I really admire that you followed a topic that could potentially help us seniors as we transition from high school to a new chapter in our lives. What makes your piece more convincing is your addition of evidence of the results of the fixed mindset vs the growth mindset. Great job overall :) -Melanie Viernes
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the topic you chose for your abstract idea because it's not often that we recognize the difference between the two mindsets. By constantly berating ourselves we think it'll encourage us to do better but I like how you brought out the idea that having that fixed mindset is like looking in the rear view mirror. Just as we continue to grow physically we must also do so mentally, and you explained exactly that. Very well-written!
ReplyDeleteYour piece brought awareness to a common issue that many people are not aware about. Your use of ethos in bringing in evidence to ground your piece made gave it a laver of professionalism, but easy to read at the same time. Great work!
ReplyDeletethis piece hits home especially right now with everything we thought was going to happen changing. We all need to show growth and adapt with what we are given. This piece is amazing for our time now.--Kendall
ReplyDeleteJonah, I loved this entire piece that you wrote. I liked how you described the difference between the two mindsets, and showed how toxic a fixed mindset is. Great Job. -Trenton Robles
ReplyDeleteYour topic was very intriguing and informative to me. I like how it shows that a growth mindset is necessary for success. I also liked when you said “When you do succeed, focus on what you did right and continue to do it daily so you can perfect it and minimize failure.” Good Job!!! ~Alec Bailey
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job with this piece and I think it's something really important to us right now as we transition from high school to college. You can't get anywhere if your mind is still in the same place. We need to be able to grow and be willing to accept whatever comes with that. I appreciated you breaking both mindsets down and clearly explaining what each meant and why we should strive to have a growth mindset. This was very well written.
ReplyDeleteThis is really deep thinking and well needed Jonah. For us seniors we can all take some info from this. We're all moving so fast all of the time we can forget the most important things like growing as people. Great topic and execution.
ReplyDelete