Maybe It's About Avoiding Failure

Published: Sept. 23, 2020, 5:15 a.m.

Those of us who are afraid to learn are often unknowingly suffering from a fixed mindset. This way of thinking assumes that people are born with a static set of qualities and talents that never change. If we aren’t immediately successful at something, we just don’t have what it takes. Yet this sort of thinking is extraordinarily unhelpful, as it prevents us from exposing ourselves to new skills and knowledge. Fixed mindsets are particularly common in people who fear failure, have low self-esteem, or excuse themselves by pretending to be too busy. For them, failure isn’t a natural part of learning, but a damning indictment of one’s abilities. They fail to recognize that mistakes are as natural as breathing, and that learning well necessarily involves failing, and failing repeatedly. However, if we adopt a growth mindset wherein the possibilities for development and expansion are endless, we find that we are much more open to learning, as well as failure in learning. Some common issues that people face when trying to learn new things include not forming their goals properly, and failing to discover good resources to study. While both of these issues are surmountable for those with a growth mindset, they become impossible to overcome if you have a fixed mindset that refuses to consider more than one option. As such, cultivating a growth mindset is essential to learning new skills and acquiring more knowledge. Rapid Knowledge Acquisition & Synthesis: How to Quickly Learn, Comprehend, and Apply, and Master New Information and Skills (Learning how to Learn Book 11)    Get the audiobook on Audible at https://bit.ly/rapidknowledge Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. For narration information visit Russell Newton at https://bit.ly/VoW-home For production information visit Newton Media Group LLC at https://bit.ly/newtonmg #AlbertEinstein #Alibaba #ColonelSanders #HowardSchultz #JackMa #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #SMART #Starbucks #StephenMcCranie #WaltDisney #FixedMinset #GrowthMindset #RapidKnowledgeAcquisition