No Limits: The Art and Science of High Performance

by Mukesh Bansal

Dr Dweck divides people into two groups based on the two kinds of mindsets that she has identified.50 The first group of people, with a ‘fixed mindset’, believe that their capabilities are fixed at birth and can’t be changed even with effort. Those with this kind of mindset are obsessed with proving their intelligence or achievements repeatedly to reaffirm what they see as their static abilities, and are afraid to risk any kind of failure as they believe that it would be a direct reflection of their capabilities, affecting their self-worth. With this attitude, they completely stunt their ability to grow, as growth requires experimentation, failure, course correction and adjustments. These folks always play it safe and attempt something new only when they know that their results will be predictable. Children with a fixed mindset will choose a puzzle only if they are confident of solving it but won’t take up a more challenging one with a high chance of failure, as they see it as a reflection of their permanent abilities. This mindset keeps them in a protected shell throughout life, where personal development and growth stalls, and these people are unlikely to achieve world-class performance.