I recently took a trip to Mumbai, India. As I was stopped at an intersection, a man approached my window. He was carrying a stack of 20-30 books, all printed in English. One of the books in his stack was Mindset by Carol Dweck. I’d already read this book in 2019. It was one of the first self-development books I read (right after How to Learn and before Drive). I thought it would be valuable to re-read it, especially as I headed into a new year. You can get a lot out of re-reading great books. The book gets repetitive, quickly. You get the main idea is in the first 20 pages.

That does not mean you should skip the next 180 pages. There’s value to repetition: every religious person knows this. You don’t get salvation after praying once.

Here is Dweck’s big idea:

1. Most people are aware of their personal qualities (intelligence, work ethic, open-mindedness, curiosity, etc.).
2. Some people believe these qualities can be changed. They have a growth mindset.
3. Others believe qualities are fixed. They have a fixed mindset.

Having a fixed mindset means that life is an eternal test of your personal abilities. If you fail, it’s proof that you fall short in some innate, unchangeable way. This is a negative emotional experience. So, what do you do? You avoid tests you could fail. You stay within a strict circle of competence. You avoid new experiences or opportunities. Even more, you can stop trying in the first place. That way you never fail.

On the other hand, if you have a growth mindset, life is simply a series of opportunities to grow. Since you can improve with practice, you say yes to things. You try. You are open to new experience.