Mindset Matters — But Does It?

            I recently finished reading Carol Dweck’s Mindset. Originally published in 2006, I only discovered it two years ago after seeing numerous glowing recommendations across social media. Mindset stands apart from typical self-help books: unlike works that focus on superficial optimism or magical thinking, such as The Secret, it is grounded in research and practical strategies. It promotes real, repeatable methods for personal growth rather than wishful thinking.

This article is not a review of the book — plenty of those exist. Instead, I want to share some questions and reflections I had while reading. Many of these were addressed within the book, but some observations and queries remain unresolved.

Prevalence of Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets

The fixed mindset is often our default state; many of us naturally exhibit a fixed mindset in at least some areas of our lives. The book emphasizes that developing and maintaining a growth mindset requires consistent effort. However, it does not provide data or estimates on how many people predominantly embody a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.

Can a Fixed Mindset Sometimes Serve Us Better?

This question struck me the most and lingered long after I finished the book. While a growth mindset is undeniably powerful for long-term development, I wondered: are there situations where a fixed mindset might actually be more beneficial? Surprisingly, the answer seems to be yes, in several contexts:

1.     Time-Sensitive Objectives: In scenarios with tight deadlines, existing talent or a baseline level of skill can be more advantageous in the short term. For example, a university student has only two to four years to meet academic requirements. Or consider the Knowledge Premier League, a prestigious company event I participated in and won: participants had just two months to prepare. In such cases, having pre-existing competence can be crucial. A growth mindset might help in the long run, but it cannot conjure talent overnight.

2.     Preventing Exploitation of the Growth Mindset: I’ve observed people misuse the growth mindset concept to lure others into high-risk or fraudulent ventures, like pyramid or Ponzi schemes, claiming anyone can get rich with enough effort — a clear distortion of the idea. Here, a fixed mindset — recognizing that these schemes don’t work — might actually protect individuals. This kind of exploitation has become even more widespread since the Covid pandemic, which is deeply concerning.

3.     The Value of Specialization and Focus: Not everyone is suited for every pursuit. Personally, I know I won’t excel at volleyball or the violin simply because I’ve never had the inclination to master them. This resonates with Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage: it’s often wiser to focus on what we’re naturally better at. Just as an economist might cook better than their maid, that doesn’t mean they should spend time cooking. The key is to leverage strengths where they’re most effective.

Is the Growth Mindset Overrated?

This leads to a critical question: like many self-help concepts, is the growth mindset overrated? Some aspects are undeniably valuable, such as focusing on effort rather than outcomes. For children, this means praising effort instead of mere success, and encouraging renewed effort after setbacks instead of criticism. However, in the real world — especially in today’s complex socio-economic landscape — effort alone does not always translate into results. Often, effort expended in the wrong direction produces poor outcomes, and it’s typically the results, not the effort, that are rewarded. Olympic medals aren’t awarded to the team that tried the hardest.

The nuances and complexities surrounding the growth mindset mean that misapplying it can do more harm than good. I believe it should be cultivated early, when children are just beginning to learn, rather than applied randomly or haphazardly later in life. While the book implicitly suggests you can achieve anything you set your mind to, not everything is worth pursuing. Choosing what to strive for wisely requires another kind of wisdom entirely.

I’ve met many who talk about having a “growth mindset” yet misunderstand what it truly means. Ironically, they often display a fixed mindset — just fixed in the opposite direction.