What is the mindset and what types are there?
Mindset refers to a set of attitudes and beliefs that influences the way we put ourselves cognitively, behaviorally and emotionally towards the world. Based on the flexibility of our attitudes and beliefs, mindset can be characterized as a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.
Fixed mindset: abilities and talents are perceived as fixed and unchanging elements that we either have or don’t have. In this context, the possibilities for achieving goals are specific and subjected to limitations. In addition, tolerance for failure and criticism is low.
Growth mindset: skills and talents are perceived as elements that can be developed and improved through effort. Based on this flexibility, new skills and different ways of achieving goals can emerge. Failure here is part of the process and contributes to evolution.
How is each type of mindset shaped?
Mindset is built from childhood and is directly related to our experiences, including the kind of reward we receive and the characterizations we are given during our lifetime.
Thus, a person who is rewarded for his talents and achievements and listens to be described as "smart", "talented" learns to focus on the result and receives the message that either he/she has an ability or does not. Such a mental attitude lays a good foundation for one to develop fixed mindset for the world around him.
Another person, who is rewarded for the path through which he/she reached a result, for the effort he/she made and the resources he/she devoted, learns to focus on the individual steps, on the process, which can be improved or even changed if the result is not the desired one. This flexibility is essentially the basis of the growth mindset.
Why is the mentality we adopt important?
Mindset plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges that arise in our lives. In addition, the existence of a relationship between the mindset we adopt and the levels of mental well-being has been established in research.
More specifically, growth mindset seems to be associated with better adaptive capacity and more effective regulation of emotional reactions, with mental resilience, satisfaction from relationships and overall well-being. In addition, growth mindset is a predictor of more positive emotional experiences.
Fixed mindset, on the other hand, has been associated with negative emotional state and more psychological strain. In conclusion, the mindset we adopt can affect the way we live and manage our daily lives and consequently upgrade or degrade our quality of life.