Book quiz
Mindset Quiz
MindsetCarol DweckWhy does the same failure set one person back for months, yet only spur another to try a different way? Carol Dweck studied this question for decades and found the answer: it isn't about ability, but about what you believe ability is — fixed or capable of growth. The book shows how to catch this mindset in yourself…
Question 1 of 5
Two students got the same low grade but reacted differently. What set them apart, according to Dweck?
Show the answer
Right answer: The mindset through which they read the event
The same event can be read as a verdict on ability or as a signal to change the method. The reaction is decided by a belief about the nature of ability.
Question 2 of 5
What happened to kids praised for being smart after their first failure?
Show the answer
Right answer: They started avoiding hard problems
Praise for being smart turns into a label you're afraid to lose. That's why, after the first failure, those kids began avoiding hard tasks.
Question 3 of 5
In self-handicapping, why does a person skip preparing for something?
Show the answer
Right answer: To have an excuse: "I just didn't try"
Not preparing ahead means securing yourself an excuse. "I just didn't try" protects you from the conclusion "I tried and couldn't".
Question 4 of 5
A company put up posters about a "growth culture" but punishes every mistake. What would Dweck call this?
Show the answer
Right answer: False growth mindset
Talk of growth without a change in behavior gives the illusion of change without the change itself. A mindset is tested by how mistakes are met, not by slogans.
Question 5 of 5
You get harsh feedback on your work and want to argue. What does the book suggest doing first?
Show the answer
Right answer: Separate the emotion from the content and reply after a pause
A growth mindset spends no energy defending a self-image. Let the emotion be, then answer the content separately, asking what you can actually use.
Want all of the book's key ideas? Read or listen to its retelling in Livria.