Dr. Angela Duckworth

How can I get smarter?

And then you move on.

If you have a fixed mindset, fundamentally, you think that the nature of human nature is that you can't change or grow.

Well, then you avoid failure.

You, you know, shove things under the rug and you live your whole life actually contracting rather than expanding.

I'm not a math person.

Yes.

You know, like hide me in the closet.

I'm a terrible singer.

Yes.

I'm not a natural athlete.

I have a hot temper.

you can find the evidence that you look for.

It's what psychologists call self-fulfilling prophecy.

And mindsets are absolutely this sort of thing.

If you are looking for evidence that you can't change, if you are looking for evidence that you're unlucky in love, that you will always be flying off the handle,

trust me, you will find that evidence.

But if you are looking for evidence that you can change, if you're looking for evidence that you can grow, sure enough, you will also find that evidence.

And I think this idea that the mindset that you have is a self-fulfilling prophecy is the beginning of understanding how you might get out of one mindset and into another.

And something that we share with ninth graders, but honestly, I think it's useful if you're a ninth grade or if you're 99, when we are trying to