Growth Mindsets, Moderation, and Quitting
Wednesday Wisdoms for January 22, 2025
Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom, Mind Candy’s 3x3 Newsletter where I distill worldly advice for better living with 3 quotes, 3 observations, and 3 questions.
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Growth Mindsets
🤨 Quote
“Even in the growth mindset, failure can be a painful experience. But it doesn't define you. It's a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from.”
Carol Dweck
Source: Mindset
Observation 🧐
There is often the notion that to have a growth mindset means to seek out failure and embrace it.
But contrary to this belief, holding a growth mindset does not mean we must seek out failure, rather, it is a natural progression of pursuing something.
You will inevitably fail in pursuits. Everyone does. Maybe not in your first pursuit or second but eventually everyone fails at something.
It is what one does with that failure that matters. Those who take the failure, learn from the lesson, and try again, that’s the growth mindset at work.
As Chip and Dan Heath have laid out:
“The growth mindset, then, is a buffer against defeatism. It reframes failure as a natural part of the change process. And that's critical, because people will persevere only if they perceive falling down as learning rather than as failing.”
When we set out on a pursuit and fail, but learn from it and try again, this leads to growth, this is what helps us learn.
We may not immediately see the fruits of growth in these moments, and inevitably we will feel the sting of pain from the failure, but over time, eventually, these moments compound and help build us into stronger individuals.
It is through trial and error, the continuous work of getting back up, that we come to understand ourselves and the world around us.
It is about following what Epictetus stated, control what you can control and forget the rest.
You control your attitude toward the failure. You control your mindset when failure strikes. And control your actions after you’ve failed.
When failure strikes, you don’t need to look further than the mirror to find your solution for how you will proceed.
Sometimes it’s as simple as standing back up, taking an inventory of what went wrong, and trying again, only this time with the lessons learned.
🤔 Question
What is one phrase or quote you keep top of mind when you need to be resilient and overcome adversity?
Here’s one, courtesy of my New Year’s Day fortune cookie:
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
Moderation
🤨 Quote
"A clear, well-defined philosophy gives you the guidelines and boundaries that keep you on track.”
Pete Carroll
Source: Grit
Observation 🧐
We each hold a life philosophy. This may not be something we think about every day or even work towards, but each and every one of us has a life philosophy built from our beliefs of the world.
But if we haven’t articulated this philosophy, if we do not know what we stand for, what we’ll tolerate, or how far we’ll go in a situation, then we end up in positions of being easily swayed—by other people, by the situation itself, by fear.
A life philosophy that we can articulate, one that we’ve spent time reflecting on and grooming, helps us hold the line. It helps us decide how we will respond to life’s lessons. And ultimately, helps pick us up when we’re down.
A life philosophy is more than virtue signaling, it’s about living a life with purpose and understanding that purpose.
As Marcus Aurelius reminded himself:
“Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too.”
🤔 Question
What is one idea from your own life philosophy you keep readily at hand?
Beneath the paywall this week we explore the wisdom of Jim VandeHei. Click below to support and get access.