Book: Mindset, The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
General theme/argument: The difference between the fixed and the growth mindset. There are many characteristics that distinguish both in how they act and how they progress in the world. For instance, those with a fixed mindset believe that talent is innate and static. Those with a growth mindset realize that with effort, you can learn something.
Book connecting with ENT3003: To be a successful entrepreneur, you will need to have a growth mindset. The world's rewards are not for those who believe they cannot apply themselves and be great.
Exercise for the class: Think of a skill that you believe to be fixed in; such as communication skills, artistic skills, and so on. Expose yourself and try to build your knowledge on that skill and develop it. (For example, if you don't think you're a good drawer, watch YouTube tutorials for 15 minutes a day and develop the basics). The point of this exercise wouldn't be to "the best" compared to others. The purpose would be to prove to the student that they can become better at anything they set their mind to.
Biggest surprise/aha moment: As I was reading this book, I realized that I have changed my mindset to the growth mindset this semester. The change wasn't catalyzed by this book, it was just an epiphany that I could become great with effort. The book helps to instill the growth mindset since it's a tangible medium to gather information about the mindset. My biggest surprise was reading about how different groups of people have different mindsets and hearing how the growth mindset individuals always came out on top. Also wording sentences or questions can change someone's interpretation of said statement; for instance, "you're really good at math" vs. "you must put a lot of effort into learning math."
Hey Angel! I also read the same book for this assignment. Like you, I found it interesting how wording statements different ways can influence someone’s mindset. I would have never guessed that if someone connects positive emotions with effort, they would be more likely to take a challenge and accept failures. It’s cool that you connected with the book too, in that you realized you changed your own mindset without even knowing!
ReplyDeleteHello Angel,
ReplyDeleteThe book you picked for your third reading reflection sounds very interesting. I have herded this concept before, but in the sports world, where an athlete can become a top performing athlete through hard work and dedication, while some are just naturally born with that talent. I think that a book like the one you chose helps people become better in the areas they are weak.