When children hear their parents level fixed judgments at others, it communicates a fixed mindset. And they have to wonder, Am I next?

The more depressed people with the growth mindset felt (short of severe depression), the more they took action to confront their problems, the more they made sure to keep up with their schoolwork, and the more they kept up with their lives.

The belief that partners have the potential for change should not be confused with the belief that the partner will change. The partner has to want to change, commit to change, and take concrete actions toward change.

Those who lean toward a growth mindset agree that: “You can always substantially change how intelligent you are.”

She went into an incredible learning mode, making herself into the CEO Xerox needed to survive.

When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world—the world of fixed traits—success is about proving you’re smart or talented. Validating yourself. In the other—the world of changing qualities—it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself.

Another way people with the fixed mindset try to repair their self-esteem after a failure is by assigning blame or making excuses.

Whether human qualities are things that can be cultivated or things that are carved in stone is an old issue. What these beliefs mean for you is a new one: What are the consequences of thinking that your intelligence or personality is something you can develop, as opposed to something that is a fixed, deep-seated trait?

It’s about learning something over time: confronting a challenge and making progress.