Assignment 21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS BY DR. CAROL S. DWEK

1. What was the general theme or argument of the book? The general theme of this book was the difference between having a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.
1. A fixed mindset means to not believe in the ability of improving upon one's skills and knowledge. In other words, every single one of your personal characteristics are essentially "fixed", or unable to be changed.
2. A growth mindset means to believe that one's personal qualities can be altered, through studying, practice, and experience. In other words, you can "grow" your knowledge, skill set, and other aspects of yourself.
2. How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? This book connected with what I am learning in ENT 3003 in giving me a more intimate look at the mindsets of business leaders and how each mindset can inhibit or enhance their success within their individual business ventures. It was also interesting in the sense that perhaps the idea that being an entrepreneur is a "birthright" isn't entirely correct, as the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur could be developed over time as the growth mindset suggests.
3. If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve? An exercise for this class based on the book I read would involve assigning a fixed mindset to one set of students and a growth mindset to another set. As they progress with the course, students would switch between mindsets and see how each either inhibits or enhances their success within the course and with each assignment given to them. At the end, students would reflect on which mindset worked the most for them, and leave the course with a clear mindset that they can apply to future courses.
4. What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations? My biggest surprise when reading this book was learning about the different famous people that originally weren't good at their respective fields; such people included Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and more. It goes to show that some skills and talents are developed and perfected over time, and does not necessarily appear during the first part of one's life.