by Jason Stotts
I don’t do a lot of book recommendation on here. But, sometimes a book is so good that I just need to comment on it. That book is Mindset by Carol Dweck. The basic premise is that there are two fundamental mindsets in life: the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. In the growth mindset, you believe that growth is possible, that if you apply yourself you can continually improve, no matter what the subject. In the fixed mindset, you are what you are and you can do your best, but your best is a fixed quantity that cannot be changed. This may not sound like an earth-shattering idea, but think about how it operates in your life. Do you think intelligence is a fixed quantity? The very idea of IQ was developed to measure changes in intelligence. Do you think your moral character is a fixed quantity? It’s not and the role of ethics is to help you in developing your character in the ways you want. I seriously recommend reading this book and applying the ideas to your life. I think you’ll be surprised, like I was, in how this very simple idea is having big impacts in your life.
If you want a more thorough review, check out: Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives by Maria Popova.