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Essay / Importance of Mindset According to Carol Dweck
Carol S. Dweck is an inspiring author who examines how the importance of an attitude can determine one's outlook on life through her book, Mindset. The psychological analysis of how a state of mind can influence people of all ages and in all circumstances reveals to readers the choices available to each person to cope with situations and learn from them. The growth mindset, as Dweck explains, allows for growth and development while its counterpart, the fixed mindset, thrives on judgment and ability. His research on the two mindsets allows readers to recognize the growth or fixed mindset in themselves and make decisions based on his analysis of both. Dweck acknowledges the difficulty she faced in writing her book, Mindset, but her in-depth examination and application of mindsets and user-friendly, accessible syntax allowed Dweck to motivate readers to effectively pursue the mindset of growth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Dweck's credibility is primarily established through her profession as a psychologist, but her persuasive skills show that she also has authority in terms of writing. As a Ph.D. professor at Columbia University, she gains credibility in her subject but she emphasizes how writing seemed like a challenge to her at first. In fact, the first sentence of the introduction reads: “One day my students sat me down and ordered me to write this book…it became my number one priority” (Dweck). She was ultimately persuaded to write this book because she and her students knew that she had the ability to improve lives through her research, a feat that could inspire and change the way people perceive success. Her philosophy is established by recognizing the struggles she undertook to share her idea of mindsets and guide readers to achieve the growth mindset. She explains, “This book was one of the hardest things I have ever done…the information was overwhelming” (Dweck 53). Although difficult, Dweck truly wanted to inspire and teach his findings to ordinary people through his writings, which ultimately established his philosophy (Nadell 479). Thus, Dweck establishes a sense of authority over her subject by acknowledging the arduous task she has undertaken, an acknowledgment that gives readers comfort and confidence in her premises. Dweck's intense research into mindsets helped him develop a structure for his novel that included explanations of his subject. study and applications to various relevant situations, a structure that effectively persuades its readers. Dweck relies on examining the mindset of various well-known figures, from Thomas Edison to Michael Jordan, drawing on the philosophies of others to support his claims. In her argument-persuasion, she conveys the data she has collected in a simple but effective way, combining ethos and logos (Nadell 479). From directly quoting the people who contributed to her study to the conclusions she draws, Dweck demonstrates mastery in her knowledge and argument. However, despite her logos, Dweck is biased in her depiction of both mentalities. She deliberately demonized the fixed mindset, detailing the failures it can cause, so that she could ultimately sell the growth mindset to readers. With different scenarios, she examines and applies the results of both mindsets, usually arriving at a favorable conclusion for the growth mindset. Byexample, she concludes: "The fixed mindset creates the feeling that you can truly know the permanent truth about yourself... being aware of the downsides of that mindset... depriving yourself of an opportunity that is under- estimating your talent” (Dweck 50). fixed mindset intentionally because its principle relies heavily on the benefits of growth mindset. She doesn't just want to explain mindsets, she wants to convince readers to use growth mindset in their daily lives. Thus, the fixed mindset is vilified throughout the book until the end. Conversely, her final advice recognizes that “it’s up to you to decide whether change is right for you” (Dweck 246). After giving the reader all the information she has researched and concluding with various application scenarios, she puts the decision of choosing a mindset in the hands of the reader while making a strong case for the growth mindset . It forces readers to become introspective and keep his ideas in mind when making decisions, no matter how big or small. Dweck's persuasive skills are effective in this way because his influence is exerted by readers through everyday life choices. So its logos and biases match its premise and readers continually think about growth mindset even after finishing the book. A writer's style is characterized by the voice used and the relationship established with the audience, two attributes Dweck uses to motivate his readers. Through his book, Dweck goes beyond proving his idea of the two mindsets by pushing his readers to be introspective and teaching them how to change. Before the book even begins, Dweck establishes an informal tone by stating, "the grammar...I didn't always follow it in this book...I did that for the sake of informality and immediacy" (Dweck). The author doesn't want to bombard readers with intellectual language and confuse them, she wants to befriend and convince the reader to want to grow through her language. To succeed, Dweck uses a comfortable tone that is easy to read and appeals to a wide audience. Additionally, she defines even the simplest terms to make the reader think. For example, Dweck explains “Potential, a person's ability to develop skills with effort” (Dweck 27). Although it is a simple word, Dweck defines it with a positive connotation as supporting his premise, which, in turn, leans toward the growth mindset (Nadell 18). This bias toward the growth mindset grows throughout the book as Dweck repeats the defining elements of the growth mindset and compares them to the disastrous results of the fixed mindset. Throughout the chapters, she develops an expansive definition of mindsets by giving anecdotal examples or comparing and contrasting growth and fixed mindsets (Nadell 436). Even though Dweck is guilty of circular reasoning, his argument for growth mindset is made boring and persistent by repetition. Each chapter of the book applies the mindsets to different situations including parenting, business, relationships, etc., until the very end of the book where she again defines the two as "judging and being judged" and "learning and -help one learn” (Dweck 244). Each chapter reiterates the definition of mindsets several times throughout the chapters, often adding additional or new characteristics to the growth and fixed definitions. However, as it penetrates readers' minds, the obvious appeal of growth mindset becomes stronger with its casual and humorous, but also informative and supportive, tone. Furthermore, his.