Fixed Mindset: What Is It?

How we see our abilities may also impact how we experience challenges and failures in life. Some people are confident in themselves and are content with the knowledge and belief that they can grow and develop their talents, skills, and intelligence with hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn from their previous failures.

On the other hand, other people feel their own powers are innate and are hardly changed. The first is what we call a growth mindset, which is a mindset that is highly valued in business.

The other mindset is called the Fixed mindset. In this article, we’ll talk about the fixed mindset!

The Principle

Someone with a fixed mindset focuses more on outcomes rather than the beauty and the process of learning and trying. To them, successes and failures are all or nothing – like nba odds today. However, when gamblers do not usually give up on mastering their craft, people who have a fixed mindset think it’s pointless to even keep trying and may even avoid taking risks because it would affect how they are perceived.

People who don’t have a growth mindset are complacent and believe nothing can change – thus, putting in the effort to grow is pointless.

The other spectrum of the mindset is the growth mindset. People with growth mindsets believe that their abilities and intelligence are muscles that need cultivation. They don’t treat failures as pointless. Instead, to them, failure is part of the process of growth, and the experiences gained from failure have value.

Research shows that a fixed mindset is detrimental, while a growth mindset allows adaptability. Fixed mindsets increase pressure and stress to perform better.

Manifestations of Fixed Mindset

Here are some manifestations of having a fixed mindset:

• Not actively seeking help: People with fixed mindsets believe not needing help means they have a lack of ability or are not good at what they do.
• Dismissiveness towards feedback: Feedback given for improvement is treated with dismissiveness. The root of this is that people who have fixed mindsets treat feedback as a personal attack rather than a valid reason for improvement.
• Choosing “safer” strategies: Instead of continuing to experiment at work with strategies, they would rather protect their current standing by sticking to what is tried and tested.  
• Limited participation in discussions: These people refuse to participate. They are more worried about looking ignorant or uninformed.
• Avoiding new experiences and challenges: They are terrified of failure or revealing their abilities, which are limited.
• Comparing yourself to others: Comparison, as said, is often the thief of joy. They overlook their own struggles and growth.
• Reluctance to challenges: A fixed mindset is a detriment in personal and professional life. When facing obstacles, you might want to retreat instead, and this can prevent your growth.

Consequences of Fixed Mindset

In many ways, having a fixed mindset is bad for you. It limits your ability to grow professionally and personally. The belief that we cannot do something leads to less effort to do it, and this yields bad results.

This can reinforce the negative mindset that trying is not even worth it.

When faced with things that require creativity, those with this sad mindset may not be creative and lean towards old “safe” approaches. Problem-solving is not cultivated. This also, sadly, can make learning a stressful experience.

In the long term, a fixed mindset can affect one’s mental health badly because it pressures the person to be perfect and to uphold their reputation, defining themselves with their reputation and successes and failures.

Wrapping Up

The fixed mindset is a mindset that proves to be detrimental in the long term because you’re not only robbing yourself of opportunities to grow but also putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and unnecessary stress. A lot of us may be guilty of this in our lives. This may also be a sign that you need to steer your brain into a more positive mindset.