Self-theories
by Carol S. Dweck · first published 2000
12mentions
5recommended by
6HN commenters
2010–2020first – last mentioned
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Research-focused account of the entangled theories people hold about intelligence and personality and how they shape motivation; suits readers who want the scholarly source behind Dweck's growth mindset ideas.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…what you're learning, you continue not to care. Because you are sucking, you care even less. 7. See #1 with the same or other topics. I'd recommend reading about Carol Dweck's Entity vs. Incremental Self-Theories on Learning. Incredible stuff. "The amount of skill that you have in a certain area is proportional to the amount of work that you put into it." Instead of using the word "work", I would say "proportional…
on “Are you a technical person?” ↗…ambitions. Everyone's journey is different, however here are a smattering of books/resources that may be insightful and have helped me: 1. Carol Dweck on mindset: - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development (Essays in Social Psychology) 2. About the inner journey of high performance, removing mental obstacles, cross-disciplinary learning, and nature…
on “How to become a Good Theoretical Physicist” ↗There are a lot of really good ones here. Three more: On overcoming cognitive bias (and understanding how mindsets influence motivation, personality, and behavior): Self-Theories by Carol S. Dweck Mental peformance: The Inner Game of Tennis - The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance Mental Models on influence: Influencer: The Power to Change Anything
on “Ask HN: What books to read on developing mental models and increasing cognition?” ↗…have found it crucial. These are the three well researched books I've read in the past 18 months that turned my life around for the better and that I heartily recommend: [1] The Promise of Sleep [2] Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development [3] Learned Optimism (that's the one I'm buying ten times for this year's Christmas) The one recommended in the article, 59 Seconds, is waiting…
on “Nobody's Going to Help You, and That's Awesome” ↗Goto source is Carol Dweck; read Mindset for the general ideas and pick up Self-Theories for a in-depth look.
on “A Redditor's insightful message for discouraged students” ↗I've read a couple of Dweck's books and highly recommend them—probably "Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development" for the crowd here. Her other book is branded like a self-help book, and it's still good though I imagine many won't like the style. Her theory…
on “Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don't Think They're Smart” ↗…mind to sort it out with a little persistence, and things will start coming together. If you find yourself avoiding math, finding it unpleasant and something you 'just can't do,' check out Carol Dweck's 'Self-Theories.' Good luck!
on “Ask HN: How or where to begin learning mathematics from first principles?” ↗"Mindset", Carol Dweck. Or her more scholarly one on same topic, "Self-theories"
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗I picked up Self-Theories after reading the excellent Mindset (which dealt with fixed vs growth mindsets). For an HNer, I would suggest you borrow Mindset but buy Self-Theories.
on “What We Look for in Founders” ↗That's actually more true than it sounds. Just a week ago I read Self-Theories by Carol Dweck where she sums up the 30 years of her research. Summary: People who hold entity theory about their traits (ie they believe their traits - like intelligence, sociability etc - cannot change)…
on “What We Look for in Founders” ↗I read a very interesting question on Quora that relates to this: http://www.quora.com/Psychology/Why-are-some-people-more-res... "People can also learn these self-theories from the kind of praise they receive (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). Ironically, when students are praised for their intelligence, they move toward a fixed theory. Far from raising their self-esteem, this praise…
on “All My Life I’ve Been Told I Was Special. It Was A Lie.” ↗I second the recommendation of Mrs. Dweck's texts. Her book "Self-Theories..." changed my life. Or at least reinforced the changes I was undergoing then: The right strategy and appropriate effort are much more important than results.
on “Are you a technical person?” ↗