Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley. Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception. Daniel H. Cohen: For argument’s sake. The 7 styles of learning. Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? | Michael Graham Richard. Here is an excerpt from an article about Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University: Through more than three decades of systematic research, [Carol Dweck] has been figuring out answers to why some people achieve their potential while equally talented others don’t—why some become Muhammad Ali and others Mike Tyson.
The key, she found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed. To anyone who is into personal growth and self-improvement, this seems obvious. But clearly, it is not obvious to everybody: look at this diagram by Nigel Holmes representing the two types of mindsets and I’ll sure you’ll recognize the attitudes of many people you know. Fixed Mindset Let’s have a look, starting with the Fixed Mindset side: People who hold these beliefs think that “they are the way they are”, but that doesn’t mean that they have less of a desire for a positive self-image than anyone else. The Secret to Raising Smart Kids. "As a Man Is, So He Sees" | Mind Matters.
"I see Every thing I paint In This World, but Every body does not see alike," wrote William Blake. "The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the Eyes of others only a Green thing that stands in the way. " That's a fact of life, Blake believed. "As a man is, So he Sees. As the Eye is formed, such are its powers. " He was right, and news last week on both the race and gender fronts brought reminders of why, and why it's important.
First up, the study by Eugene Caruso and colleagues at the University of Chicago, in which 221 students looked at different photos of President Obama, and proved divided about which ones were the most true to life. Liberals chose photos in which the President's skin looked lighter; conservatives picked images in which he looked darker. I think that's exactly backwards.
As Levy notes, the resolution will have to be decided by committees. It's "in" today to knock the "blank slate" model of the mind--which claimed there was no such thing as human nature.