Which do you believe is more important for success, talent and intelligence or effort and persistence? Of course, it’s probably not such a clean dichotomy, but if you imagine a continuum with talent and intelligence on one end and effort and persistence at the other, do you lean more to one side in your beliefs about success? This theoretical continuum is what psychologists refer to as a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset is based on the belief that when it comes to success at a particular task, you either have what it takes or you don’t. That is, your talents, intelligence, and character are such that success at that task comes easily or not at all. A growth mindset recognizes that people vary in their talents and intelligence, but is based on the belief that the most important determinant of success is effort. With regard to a specific task, if given enough time and enough effort, just about anyone could be successful.

Why is fixed versus growth mindset important? Plenty of research has shown that people who have more of a fixed mindset tend to give up when they encounter difficulty or struggle. Why? Well, if success is based primarily on inherent characteristics, then difficulties in attempting a task must indicate a lack of the right qualities, so why continue to struggle when success is unlikely? In contrast, people who hold........

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