Did you know that Darwin and Tolstoy were considered ordinary children? That Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers of all time, was completely uncoordinated and graceless as a child? That the photographer Cindy Sherman, who has been on virtually every list of the most important artists of the 20th century, failed her first photography course? That Geraldine Page, one of our greatest actresses, was advised to give up for a lack of talent?
You can see how the belief that cherished qualities can be developed creates a passion for learning. The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.
— Carol S. Dweck, PhD (American psychologist, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Dweck has primary interests in motivation, personality and development. Her key contribution to social psychology relates to implicit theories of intelligence described in her 2006 book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In a nutshell, she believes that we can stretch ourselves beyond any perceived, “fixed” innate intelligence level and get smarter if we work at it).
My high school band class comes to mind. I remember someone new came into class and this person was not good at the drums. This person seemed to struggle and struggle. Our teacher, who loved music more than anything and believed everyone can learn to play an instrument, encouraged practice and perseverance. From that day forward, every time we walked by the practice room, the student was in there practicing the drums. That student practiced more than I’ve seen anyone practice and he got better. We were impressed. That same student is now a professional drummer in some of the most prestigious bands. Just sayin’ ;) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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