Character Analysis: Flipped By Wendelin Van Draanen

In school, at the stores, anywhere, there are two types of people that can be encountered. What makes these two types of people different is their mindsets. One type has the mindset of a pessimist; they think they cannot do certain tasks and are afraid of looking stupid. The other type has the mindset of an optimist; they always try new things and are not scared to do so. In the article “Brainology” by Carol S. Dweck, she states that there are two different mindsets that people can possess, either a fixed mindset (pessimist) or a growth mindset (optimist); these mindsets are developed at a young age and will influence a person’s choices and opportunities.

A Growth Mindset is when, “people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication, and hard work- brains and talent are just the starting point,”Carol Dweck states, famous author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, the book that started the outbreaks in different mindsets. This mindset is the belief that people can evolve and change if they give enough effort, and persevere. A few of the advantages of possessing a Growth Mindset includes seeing your flaws as an opportunity to grow, having a more risk-taking personality, and leading a happier, healthier life. However, a disadvantage that commonly occurs is turning a Growth Mindset into a False Growth Mindset, which is the concept that a Growth Mindset is just being flexible, and open-minded, when indeed there is so much more involved. Though the Growth Mindset

“Mindsets are an important part of your personality, but you can change them.”(Dweck 46) Carol Dweck author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success says this because mindsets aren’t permanent and you are able to change your mindset about anything. How you approach things in life and what mindset you use toward it can affect the outcome of what occurs. How you take the results of how you did can affect the future of how you go about doing things. One of the reoccurring themes of the growth mindset is trying a new approach at a goal or a situation that you don’t know how to go about.

Growth mindset and the fixed mindset: The two focal points of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success written by Carol Dweck. Pushing yourself further and further so that you can strengthen your intelligence, versus believing that the knowledge you know and have cannot be brought to a higher level. Even though the book was a difficult read, it really opens the mind to the different views on life, and the many ways that people go about their lives. How the fixed mindset may bring someone to success at first but later in their life lead them to a crisis. Or how the growth mindset may be difficult to grasp and achieve, but it will enact success in the future. The book advises ways to go from having the fixed mindset to the growth mindset, from saying things such as, “Yet those people with the growth mindset were not labeling themselves… Even though

Growth mindset is the cone to an ice cream. It is the foundation of what I think a successful person is. Without it one couldn’t use the characteristics mentioned above in more ways than one. Someone with a growth mindset believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, brains and talent are just the starting point.

I personally have went through times having both mindsets. I can say from experience that a growth mindset is the better of the two. I believe that you are able to change your mindset. With a growth mindset, you always see things how they could be or how you could make the situation better. But in my experience, it was how I changed the people I hung out with and the type of environment I was in.

There are two different mindsets that help to shape our lives, fixed and growth. In Mindset by Carol Dweck, these two methods are compared in how they affect the lives of individuals. Dweck focuses around the growth mindset being a better alternative to the fixed mindset, with the following reasons: Challenges - Fixed mindset tends to avoid challenges while a growth mindset embraces them. Obstacles - A fixed mindset tends to give up easily while a growth mindset tends to persist, regardless of any setbacks. Effort - A fixed mindset perceives effort as something pointless while a growth mindset perceives effort as a way to achieve mastery Criticism - A fixed mindset tends to ignore any feedback that is negative while a growth mindset tries to learn from criticism received Success of others - A fixed mindset feels threatened by the success of others while a growth mindset gets inspired and tries to

The way that people think about their ability to change and grow can impact their lives. In her book, Mindset: The new psychology of success, Carol Dweck introduces this way of viewing of the world as our mindsets. She proposes that there are two different types of mindsets: growth and fixed. People with a growth mindset see their abilities as something that can be cultivated and changed through effort. They are more willing to take chances to learn and grow.

To compare and contrast the two is very easy because they are very alike yet very different. A fixed mindset is wanting to look smart without doing the work like avoiding challenges , giving up easily and not getting things your full effort they also hate constructive criticism which leads them to feel threatened by others success. A growth mindset is someone who want to learn and challenge themselves and over come all setbacks so that they can master what they are learning they take constructive criticism very well which leads them to become happy at the success of others.

In an article called “Brainology” Carol S. Dweck argues that there is a fixed mindset and growth mindset and I agree because Dweck says “not everyone has the same abilities or that someone can be as smart as Einstein, but Einstein wasn’t even Einstein until he put in the years of focused hard work.” So this tells me that if you have a fixed mindset you’ll be afraid to look smart so rather look dumb. On the other hand, if you have a growth mindset you’ll put in the hard work and achieve greatness. So either give up or we fight for what we want. We’ll either fail and quit or fail and get back on the horse and be something in

Dweck believes that someone who possesses a “growth mindset” is almost the polar opposite of someone who has a “fixed mindset.” A person with a growth mindset is able to think positively and see the silver lining of an unfavorable situation. They are able to improve from their mistakes, and always finds a way to become better at different aspects of life. Growth mindsets come with an open mind, making these people extremely versatile in any circumstance. In addition, their mindsets increase in complexity through maturity. They believe that as long as anyone puts in the effort, they have the potential to succeed.

The fixed mindset, while it has played a significant role in my life, does not help me cope well with failure. Near the end of chapter one, after the bad grade and parking ticket scenario, it is noted that, “You don’t have to have one mindset or the other to be upset . . . Yet those people with the growth mindset were not labeling themselves and throwing up their hands” (Dweck 9). With this in mind, it is rather clear that the growth mindset tends to produce notably more positive reactions in comparison to the fixed mindset. The positivity is something that I want more of in my life.

“The Growth Mindset” by Rona Elisa talks about the difference between people with a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and how to overcome from fixed to growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe that their basic traits and skills are permanent and that it is a natural talent. Therefore, they do not challenge themselves in order to avoid any failure situations because they want to prove they are smart. Whereas, people with a growth mindset put the effort in learning to improve their basic qualities and skills. So, when it comes to challenging situations people with a fixed mindset either they try to avoid it or blame others, make up excuses, and/ or criticize in order for them to save their self- worth.

There are many ways a growth mindset can affect an individual. Commonly growth mindsets have a more positive effect on your life. The mindset you attain, growth or fixed, is dependent on the views you adopt from a young age. There are much more pros than cons for a growth-minded person compared to a fixed minded person. One of the ways growth mindset is more beneficial than a fixed mindset is that intelligence is developed over time. A growth mindset is associated with the desire to learn and the ability to continue despite an obstacle, whereas fixed mindset is associated with the desire to appear smart and will give up easier when faced with an obstacle. A few more differences between the two are growth mindset focuses on learning from criticism and is inspired by others' success, while fixed mindset ignores useful feedback and is threatened by others' success.

Do you remember Dr. Carol Dweck? Please bear in mind that for you to understand your mindset, you have to think about what she has found from her teaching about this subject of mindset. She had been quoted again and again in many discussions about mindset. Much of she said on mindset has been tested and trusted. As time passes by, we’re seeing that her words are true and more helpful on this matter. For instance, she said that intelligence and personality can be cultivated and developed. And that they’re not what you can’t change if you have the growth mindset. So the terms or expressions: fixed mindset and growth mindset came from her. Let’s explain these two main types of