Let’s connect growth mindset to the real-world arenas of education and career.
Here’s a clear side-by-side comparison of fixed vs. growth mindset behaviors in both education and career:
Context | Fixed Mindset Behavior | Growth Mindset Behavior |
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Education – Learning New Concepts | “I’m just not good at math/reading.” → avoids the subject. | “I don’t understand this yet, but I can improve with practice.” → seeks help, keeps trying. |
Education – Mistakes & Tests | Views mistakes as proof of being “not smart.” | Views mistakes as feedback → studies differently, retries, learns from errors. |
Education – Effort | Believes effort means lack of ability: “If I were smart, this would be easy.” | Believes effort builds ability: “Every time I practice, my brain grows stronger.” |
Education – Feedback | Feels attacked by criticism from teachers/peers. | Uses feedback to refine strategies and grow. |
Education – Peers’ Success | Feels threatened or jealous. | Feels inspired and motivated to learn from others. |
Career – Challenges | Avoids stretch projects: “I’m not qualified, I’ll fail.” | Accepts new challenges: “This will help me grow and build new skills.” |
Career – Mistakes at Work | Hides mistakes, fears judgment. | Owns mistakes, extracts lessons, and adapts. |
Career – Feedback from Boss | Gets defensive, resists change. | Welcomes feedback, applies suggestions to improve performance. |
Career – Effort & Progress | Believes talent alone drives success, avoids hard work. | Believes consistent effort and persistence lead to mastery and advancement. |
Career – Others’ Success | Views coworkers’ promotions as unfair competition. | Views others’ growth as proof of possibilities and seeks mentorship. |
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