Can we change ourselves? Book recommendation

Ever since George Lakoff's ideas on framing fell into the spotlight of national political discourse, I've been very curious about the contributions of psychology to our ideas and understanding of political issues.

Below the fold, I want to recommend a book that, to me, has important implications for how I look at politics. It's not a political book at all, it's about the way people understand themselves and how that affects their motivations, their beliefs, and their actions. But really, I think it has very interesting implications in how we think about profoundly political questions. I also think it sheds light on why sometimes liberals and conservatives see problems differently, and resolve them differently. The good news is, according to the research presented in the book, we were right again!

I would like to recommend a new book, MINDSET, that has great insights into how we can enhance our lives. It's by an eminent psychologist, Carol Dweck, and it's written in a really interesting and accessible way.

The book spells out two mindsets, one in which people believe that their qualities, like their intelligence, are fixed. In this mindset, people worry about how smart or talented they are, so they don't take on challenges, they don't want to work hard, and they really lose their motivation when they hit setbacks. She shows, through research and case studies, how people in this mindset fall behind their peers when things get hard.

In the other mindset, the growth mindset, people believe that their talents and abilities can be developed. So instead of worrying about how smart or talented  they are, they work on getting smarter. These people thrive on challenges, redouble their efforts after setbacks, and in the long run achieve more.

What's really neat is that Dweck shows how these mindsets can be changed. Not only is this a great book, but her message is easy to implement and has strong impact.

•  I'm always on the lookout for

  a new book.  Sounds interesting.

  by turning blue on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 01:54:17 PM PDT

•  Sounds great

  I'm an aspiring novelist and twice now I have wanted to give up halfway through writing a book. I've been thinking a lot about how my beliefs impact my action and how to handle setbacks. A couple days ago I lost a pad of paper with an essay I'd been working on and immediately thought well, time to give up. A book like Mindset might help me persevere and not be willing to quit so easily. Thanks for the recommendation.

  by Silly Goose on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 01:58:02 PM PDT

  •  I think you're definitely right

    I think that sometimes we see the finished results of other people's efforts and think that it came naturally and effortlessly. When we try it ourselves and it turns out to be a tough slog and it doesn't come out well the first time, we think we just don't have what it takes. The truth is that it's all a learning process that takes time.

    Sure, it's possible that some people will never have the talent for certain things - but I think in most cases, when we care about something enough and set reasonable goals and expectations, we can see through a lot of things that we might otherwise be tempted to give up on.

    Good luck with your novels!

    by nussbaumski on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 02:18:53 PM PDT

•  sounds like a good description

  of the difference between scared limited redstate voters/non-thinkers and people who believe in the Blue Team.  so I think there is tremendous political relevance in this theory.

  one question: why, being of the second mindset, would I ever want to change it?

  by TrueBlueMajority on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 02:39:27 PM PDT

  •  Not generally

    I think there's an open debate on the question of whether sometimes there can be a problem with fixating on unattainable goals, or similarly, believing so much in effort that you always feel like you haven't done enough. Personally, I think that there's no real contradiction between having a learning mindset and having realistic expectations of what you can do and how hard you can reasonably try.

    Good question - I think that research has yet to provide an unambiguous answer, but hopefully it will eventually.

    I think one interesting point you raise in terms of red/blue is how we view others, particularly the less fortunate. So, on the one hand, it's great to believe that people can improve in various ways, contrary to hypotheses like the Bell Curve, etc. On the other hand, it is important to be wary of victim blame in the sense that if "everything is possible" with effort and perseverance, then if you're still poor or uneducated it must be your fault. Mindset is part of the story, but obviously there are any other important factors involved.

    by nussbaumski on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 03:15:05 PM PDT

    •  you raise some interesting points

      there are some ways in which I do tend to blame rigid thinkers for not breaking free of their rigid thinking, because as a non-rigid thinker I don't accept their self-limiting state.  But a rigid thinker by definition can't break free, so maybe we are back to Lakoff and "how do we talk to them" instead of trying to change them.

      by TrueBlueMajority on Thu Apr 27, 2006 at 04:40:16 PM PDT