The Growth Mindset: Why We Should Be Fixing The System

In his book, “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” Wes Moore (2011) tells a true story about two men from Baltimore who have identical names but have different outcomes in life. He also illustrates the similarities of their life’s situations when they were younger, the decisions they made in life and their impacts, and the roads they took that ultimately led them to where they are today.

“One name, two fates,” that what the author of the Other Wes Moore stated on the cover of his book. Two boys that were born in the same neighborhood in Baltimore, and had a difficult childhood since they both grew up fatherless. The coincidence was that the two boys were called Wes. They both shared a lot of similarities from living in a poor neighborhood and growing up in Baltimore street corners with their squads. However, their futures were completely different as one achieved the impossible and the other was a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. People may think that how could this happen since they both were living the same circumstances. However, in the book Wes Moore, the boys did not have equal opportunities in terms of parenting, education, and environment.

Many of the problems seen in modern times are due to events that many Americans pass off as “typical” in relation to misfortunes and injustices. The Other Wes Moore perfectly exemplifies these exact afflictions that a multitude of people face in the United States, partially due to ethnicity or cultural background. The instances of poverty, economic injustice, drugs, and family influence in The Other Wes Moore contribute to significant findings in socioeconomic structure that relate to considerable matters in the present day. An in-depth analysis on the story of both Wes and Moore in the eyes of a student of National Security and Foreign Affairs, and through the perspective of an Intelligence Officer, reveals small factors that both

“Children learn more from who you are than what you teach,” stated W.E.B DuBois. As illustrated by the quote, the people and the environment that an individual surrounds themselves with affects their future. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore, is a narrative that tells the story of two males, who share the same name but take two different paths in life. The two Moores experience similar situations, however surround themselves with different types of people, resulting in different paths. One Moore is successful while the other is incarcerated, proving an individual’s environment influences ones future. Ultimately, after analyzing Wes Moore’s novel and Terry Pratchets quote in the excerpt, it is evident that the

The book, “ The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore is about two young boys who were brought up in Baltimore with the same name and alike struggles. Throughout the book, the author is trying to get the readers to find an understanding of why him and the other Wes outcomes were so different of him being an accomplished author ,and the other Wes having life in jail. The author is trying to argue that the Wes Moores have similar lives, but in my opinion they are completely different. The Wes moores had different aspects such as roles models, resources and motivation that prevented them from having similar histories.

Growth mindset helps you become better in school but being grittier helps you become better in school and in life.According to the article “The Science Behind How We Learn New Skills” it talks about learning new skills and better verbal intelligent increases language and improved memory skills (Klosowski). Growth mind set fits into the article because, the article is talking about how learning new skills and study habits will help you become a better student and succeed more in school and excel to become the best you can be; you always wanna better yourself in school and accomplish the most you can accomplish to get a better job when you graduate from college.Study has found out that going to sleep after sleeping after you just study something helps improve memory (Klosowski).The article “The 15 habits of top college students” talks about how, keeping yourself in tip top shape, and never underestimate your vitamins then you can grow and become a better college student

The overall theme of the sources we studied was about growth mindset.The most important thing about growth mindset is that intelligence can be developed. Also, the brain can grow by hard working and practicing. In “You Can Grow your Intelligence,” the author maintains that contrary to the belief that a person is born either smart, average, or dumb, instead the brain is more like a muscle, it changes and get stronger when you use it. Lastly, Carol Dweck, in a Ted Talk titled “ The Power Of Believing That You Can improve,” narrates how she researches about the growth mindset and the fixed mindset, and the benefit of having a growth mindset. Also, in her video she gave many good advice of how you can change a person that have fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

The Other Wes Moore is an autobiographical novel that is told from the heart of author, Wes Moore, while showing an illustrative purpose. One section of his book, in the epilogue, shows Moore diving into a more personal note on the roller coaster of a life he has lived, thus far. He uses his tone and diction to reflect on how the environment people grow up in can influence the ways they act and to explain that the people closest to you can change the opportunities you may have later in life, while using imagery and parallelism to show that no matter who you are or what background you come from, it can’t restrict or confine you from doing extraordinary things.

In “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” by Wes Moore, two boys are living in the same city, with the same name, and are in similar situations. The author of the book turns into a Rhodes Scholar recipient while the other Wes Moore is now serving a life sentence in prison. With similar backgrounds what decisions created the difference between the two boys? A major decision was made by Wes’s mother when she chose to move them out of Maryland and up to New York, “… Three weeks later, Nikki, Shani and I all stood outside our car with something like disbelief at our now empty home. This was it. We were actually leaving Maryland.”(Moore 37) This was probably one of the most influential moments in his life because he got out of the drug and

In the book The Other Wes Moore, it tells the story of two different men with the same name but different lives. Wes one had a family who loved and cherished him. Wes two however, wasn’t so fortunate, his family did not put the time and effort into spending time with him. I have never had a personal situation like this, but if you grow up like Wes two did, you will do anything in your power to keep who you care about and yourself in good relations. However, I do know a close friend of mine who did as Wes two and chose the wrong path in life. You choose your own life using your own free will and good judgement.

"Free will and determinism are like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism. The way you play your hand is free will." Norman Cousins. This quote was the basic underlying moral of the book The Other Wes Moore and the short story The Third and Final Continent. The poem if acts as a guideline for a person’s willpower. The poem If shows the reader the steps to follow to come out of a situation of doubt with sheer-will power. The Other Wes Moore conveys this same theme when the main character breaks out of poverty in a first desperate, but then determined childhood. The Third and Final Continent follows the story of a talented young student and the hardships faced in his unfamiliar new life in The United States of America. These texts, If, The Other Wes Moore, and The Third and Final Continent represent how effort becomes the driving force of success even in improbable circumstances through use of setting, characterization, and conflict.

The Other Wes Moore documents the true life stories of two Black males named Wes Moore that both grew up in broken families located in disadvantaged neighborhoods, but regardless of their similar backgrounds one Wes Moore became a Rhodes Scholar while the other is incarcerated (Moore, 2010). In similar vein, I saw the same parallels with the Wes Moore’s in my own life with having a half-brother with the same name as myself who was incarcerated. Although we were directed toward different trajectories we were only houses apart from each other with an abusive father that simultaneously maintained two families. It could be argued the trajectories were mere coincidence, but my twin sister and I both sustained the same experiences from birth, yet

There's a theory where any given person has infinite paths of life. For every action there is a new path, and the paths keep dividing and extending, each one having new sets of outcomes and opportunities for the person to encounter. The book The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, is a philosophically interesting book as it talks about these paths. Two boys named Wes Moore grew up in similar situations, yet their actions led to them going on two different paths, leading to two completely different lives. The book gives some insight into how these two Wes’ actions as youth led them on their paths. One theme occurring in the text was chances, and specifically second chances, which shaped Wes and Wes throughout their youth. While both Wes’ got their first and second chances, they each treated them differently.

In The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is a story about Wes Moore, the author and Wes, who became a drug dealer. They both grew up in the same environment and similar neighborhoods. From the books slogan “One Name, Two Fates” is referring to how both could have same or different fates. Author Wes and Other Wes could have easily had different outcomes of their lives if they had made different choices. The factors that led author Wes Moore to success and the other Wes Moore to jail is, strong and weak support from parents, good and bad mentors, and vision, how far did they think about their future.

Paraphrase: A growth mindset creates incentive to overcome difficulties that will lead to achievement. Dweck developed an intervention for students who were going into seventh grade. In seventh grade, grading is stricter and the environment does not involve personal feelings. Most students will decided whether they want to get involved with school based on their skills and knowledge.