Introduction to the Concept of Mindset
We all know that experiencing hardship is part of life. We also know that some people bounce back from adversity better than others. One major factor in how people respond to misfortune is their mindset. When dealing with stress, our mindset can help us cope more effectively or worsen our situation.
In this article, we start from the very beginning by exploring the notion of mindset: what it is, how it is defined, and how it affects our behavior, choices, and actions.
What Does Mindset Mean?
The term first appeared as early as 1916, defined as “habits of mind formed by previous experience.” Mindset is a way of thinking that arises from a person’s worldview or philosophy of life. It is often seen as a set of attitudes, assumptions, or beliefs.
Mindset.com defines the word as a “collection of beliefs and thoughts that makes up the mental attitude, inclination, habit or disposition that predetermines a person’s interpretations and responses to events, circumstances, and situations.” We love this definition because it captures all the elements of a mindset that we believe are important:
“Collection of beliefs and thought” emphasizes that mindset is a group or set of beliefs, not a single one.
“Mental attitude, inclination, habit or disposition” defines various personality traits.
“…predetermines a person’s interpretations” touches on the notion that how we interpret things is very personal and individualized.
“...predetermines a person’s response to events, circumstances and situations” indicates that your beliefs are key to your reaction to things.
In other words, your mindset in the face of adversity matters because it determines how you handle the situation.
Why is Mindset Important?
Mindset is important because it determines our attitudes and beliefs, or “thought habits,” which in turn affect everything we do, think, and feel. Our mindset can help us succeed in the world and improve our well-being as much as it can work against us. Developing the right mindset can help us enjoy our lives, reach our goals and overcome diversity.
Mindset vs. Attitude Belief
Attitude can be defined as a set way of thinking or feeling about something that is reflected in a person’s behavior. In psychology, attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. According to Wikipedia,
Attitude is a psychological construct, a mental and emotional entity that inheres in or characterizes a person, or their attitude is their approach to something, or their personal view on it. Attitude involves their mindset, outlook and feelings. Attitudes are complex and are an acquired state through experience. Attitude is an individual's predisposed state of mind regarding a value and it is precipitated through a responsive expression towards oneself, a person, place, thing, or event (the attitude object) which in turn influences the individual's thought and action. Most simply understood attitudes in psychology are the feelings individuals have about themselves and the world.
We all know what a “bad attitude” means. What if we could change a negative attitude into a positive one? The result would be having a better mindset and thinking and feeling things differently.
Beliefs can be one of two things: an acceptance that something is true, regardless of the evidence (i.e., you can believe in Santa Claus) or a trust or faith in something, such as a religion or a political idea (i.e., you believe in democracy). It would follow then that if mindset determines your beliefs and your beliefs are wrongly founded, you can change your mindset if you change your beliefs.
You may not have thought much about what these words mean or how they could affect how you see and act in the world. Simply considering the notion of mindset should start you thinking in the right direction.
In the next few articles, we will explore topics such as how to “train” your mindset, the difference between a “fixed” and “growth” mindset, and how actually to change your mindset.