Carol S. Dweck Quotes

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Carol S. Dweck

Profession : Educator

Birth : October 17, 1946

You try something, it doesn't work, and maybe people even criticize you. In a fixed mindset, you say, 'I tried this, it's over.' In a growth mindset, you look for what you've learned.

Carol S. Dweck

This knowledge that you might have to really reorganize and redefine yourself and build new skills is really important.

Carol S. Dweck

There is a long history of research showing that people are overconfident about their abilities. But it turns out that people in general are not overconfident about their abilities; people with a fixed mindset are overconfident.

Carol S. Dweck

People often confuse a growth mindset with being flexible or open-minded or with having a positive outlook - qualities they believe they've simply always had. My colleagues and I call this a false growth mindset.

Carol S. Dweck

You don't know what your abilities are until you make a full commitment to developing them.

Carol S. Dweck

When there's a setback, someone with a fixed mindset will start thinking, 'Maybe I don't have what it takes?' They may get defensive and give up. A hallmark of a successful person is that they persist in the face of obstacle, and often, these obstacles are blessings in disguise.

Carol S. Dweck

When entire companies embrace a growth mindset, their employees report feeling far more empowered and committed; they also receive far greater organizational support for collaboration and innovation.

Carol S. Dweck

Creating organizations that value a growth mindset can create contexts in which more people grow into the knowledgeable, visionary, and responsible leaders we need.

Carol S. Dweck

Most experts and great leaders agree that leaders are made, not born, and that they are made through their own drive for learning and self-improvement.

Carol S. Dweck

With a fixed mindset, you're so worried about how smart or talented you are, you don't take on challenges. You don't try new things.

Carol S. Dweck

With a growth mindset, kids don't necessarily think that there's no such thing as talent or that everyone is the same, but they believe everyone can develop their abilities through hard work, strategies, and lots of help and mentoring from others.

Carol S. Dweck

Everybody who's been successful has gotten lots of help and input from many, many people.

Carol S. Dweck

Some students start thinking of their intelligence as something fixed, as carved in stone. They worry about, 'Do I have enough? Don't I have enough?'

Carol S. Dweck

The wrong kind of praise creates self-defeating behavior. The right kind motivates students to learn.

Carol S. Dweck

Scholars are deeply gratified when their ideas catch on. And they are even more gratified when their ideas make a difference - improving motivation, innovation, or productivity, for example. But popularity has a price: people sometimes distort ideas and, therefore, fail to reap their benefits.

Carol S. Dweck

Children love this idea that their brain is like a muscle that gets stronger as they use it.

Carol S. Dweck

Maybe you don't know how to do something at work. Instead of asking the boss or seeking someone as a mentor, you might not want to show them your ignorance. So, you're depriving yourself of this learning and mentorship. All of these ways are ways that a fixed mindset will hold you back.

Carol S. Dweck

When we praise children for their intelligence, we tell them that this is the name of the game: Look smart; don't risk making mistakes.

Carol S. Dweck

As the growth mindset has become more popular and taken hold, we are beginning to find that there are pitfalls. Many educators misunderstand or misapply the concepts.

Carol S. Dweck

When someone endorses a fixed mindset, it can limit them, even if they're successful at the moment, because if they start struggling and tumbling, they can lose their confidence, but also, they may not create a growth mindset environment for others.

Carol S. Dweck