Carol Dweck

The Power of Believing That You Can Improve

Dweck argues for the “not yet” philosophy, which helps kids realize that there’s room for improvement in their learning, rather than just telling them that they failed something. She says that process should be praised, not intelligence. That way, kids were learn not only that they have a path to their future, but that improvement is possible. The result of this way of thinking is that kids get excited about a challenge, rather than fearing that they’ll just earn another failing grade.

I like the fact that Dweck used a more broad story that then resulted in a story of her own, but I didn’t really feel her connection to the story. It didn’t feel very personal to her. And then it takes her three minutes to ask the audience the question that moves the talk along. I just felt like she didn’t grab my attention as quickly as she should’ve.

Dweck’s closing is, to me, a tad jarring. However, I think this is very much in her favor. She reads aloud a letter she received from a thirteen-year-old boy, and it ends with the sentence, “I now realize I’ve wasted most of my life.” Dweck’s call-to-action becomes that she wants children to be capable of and embrace growth, and that we shouldn’t waste any more lives. This almost comes across as an accusation to the audience, but I think it helps demonstrate the sense of urgency that she desires