Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset and Enneagram

Exploring growth mindset vs. fixed mindset allows us to understand how our attitude influences our motivation, decisions, and, ultimately, the outcomes of our efforts. Combining these kinds of insights with the wisdom of the Enneagram can serve as a powerful inspiration for personal development and growth.

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset and analyze all the advantages that a growth mindset brings. We’ll also cover how Enneagram types can develop one and how they would benefit from it.

Let’s dive in!

Defining Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

The key difference between the growth vs. fixed mindset is in the way each perceives intelligence, abilities, and talents. Individuals with a growth mindset believe that everything can be learned by investing adequate effort.

Meanwhile, those with a fixed mindset believe that if they don’t have a talent for something, they can never learn it. In other words, they believe that skills, abilities, and talents are unchangeable and that our effort has little or no effect on them.

In practice, a fixed mindset undervalues the power of hard work.

In addition, people with a fixed mindset see mistakes as a tragedy, a signal to give up, since they implicitly believe that failing in something proves that they are actually not smart or talented.

This is very similar and often connected to perfectionist logic, as perfectionists also struggle with mistakes and perceive them as personal flaws, not as learning experiences.

Meanwhile, individuals with a growth mindset perceive failures as lessons, an indicator that they have to invest more effort or try achieving their goal in a different way. As a result, they often achieve better learning outcomes than those with fixed mindsets.

Needless to say, having a fixed mindset inevitably leads to many missed opportunities for personal development, as it limits the expression of an individual's potential.

Additionally, while having a growth mindset is crucial in any field, it is vital for entrepreneurs and business people, considering that the fixed mindset hinders the adaptability and creativity needed to succeed.

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset for Kids

Cultivating a growth mindset is particularly beneficial for kids, as many studies have proven a direct link between motivation, academic performance, learning outcomes, and mindset type.

In addition, a National Study of Learning Mindsets showed that when an intervention was implemented to foster a growth mindset, students' motivation and interest in education were greatly enhanced, and students' grades improved.

What’s particularly important to understand when it comes to cultivating a growth mindset in kids is that praise should be focused on their effort, not on their personal traits. For example, instead of telling children that they are smart when they achieve success, remind them of the effort they invested in and praise them for their hard work.

This way, kids get the message that hard work pays off and learn to believe in their abilities. Moreover, they get to understand that they have agency over the results, whereas telling them they are smart inevitably leads to them believing they are not smart whenever they fail in something.

How to Build a Growth Mindset in 7 Steps

Since there are obvious advantages of the growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, let’s see how you can cultivate a growth mindset in eight simple steps:

#1. Identify Fixed Mindset Thought Patterns

Sometimes, we are not aware of how limiting certain beliefs are and how deeply ingrained they can be in our identity. Think of all those things that you refused to even consider trying because ‘that’s simply not you.’ Or you might be telling yourself that you know what you can and can’t do, so there’s no point in ever trying since you already know the outcome in advance.

The thing is, such beliefs are never authentic; they are rather an echo of the things others told us about what we could or couldn’t do. So, by becoming aware of such beliefs, we get the power to change them.

#2. Demystify Fear of Failure and Mistakes

Notice how you feel about mistakes and failures. What kind of reaction does failure trigger in you? Does it make you worry about how others perceive you? Do you feel like one mistake dismisses all your previous efforts and accomplishments? Do you tend to question your abilities each time you don’t get the perfect result?

If any of these questions resonate with you, the chances are you have a fixed mindset. It is essential for you to understand that mistakes say nothing about your capability; they aren’t proof of your insufficiency. Take them as lessons and an indication that you might need more practice, not as a sign to give up.

#3. Welcome Challenges

People with a fixed mindset aren’t big on taking challenges since they perceive them only as obstacles. The key is to recognize challenges as opportunities for growth, as a game, or as a mystery that needs to be solved. By bringing playfulness and creativity into the situation, you’re making space for different perspectives and, consequently, learning and growth.

#4. Focus on Effort and Process

One of the most problematic beliefs associated with the fixed mindset is that effort is useless compared to talent, which implies that being talented is all it takes to succeed, regardless of effort.

Due to this belief, people with fixed mindsets often fail to recognize their own efforts. Therefore, fostering consistency, tracking progress, and setting measurable goals is essential to recognizing the value of hard work and the role it plays in success.

#5. Keep Learning

A growth mindset is all about staying open to change, new experiences, and learning. Don’t take any achievement as your final destination; focus on the skills you developed to achieve it and keep refining them. You will learn and develop the most in your weak areas, so map them out and work on strengthening them.

#6. Connect With Growth-Oriented People

The right surroundings can serve as a strong catalyst for a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset change. Individuals who possess a growth mindset genuinely enjoy motivating and inspiring others to advance, and this kind of influence can significantly affect your own path to growth mindset development.

In addition, growth-oriented people can also be a source of useful, practical advice and support in adopting the new attitude.

#7. Celebrate Yours and Others’ Small Victories

When comparing individuals with a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset, it comes up that people with a growth mindset don’t perceive other successful people as a threat. They are eager to learn from others and truly appreciate and admire their accomplishments. More importantly, they understand the importance of progress, however small it may be, and enjoy sharing their achievements.

So, celebrate your small wins and take others’ success as an inspiration, not as a competition and threat.

5 Key Benefits of a Growth Mindset

Understanding the benefits of a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset can help change limiting beliefs associated with a fixed mindset.

So, let’s focus on the five most important growth mindset advantages:

• Grit and passion: People with a growth mindset tend to be more passionate about their studies and work and achieve better results compared to people who score low on a growth mindset scale. They also tend to have more grit and generally have stronger and more stable motivation.
• Enhanced creativity: A growth mindset indirectly promotes divergent thinking, which is closely related to creativity, by encouraging openness to new ideas and perspectives. Consequently, creative problem-solving abilities are more common among those who have a growth mindset.
• Stress resilience: Since people with a growth mindset perceive problems as challenges, they are less likely to be stressed out when they experience setbacks. They adapt more easily to challenging circumstances and show more resilience under pressure.
• Lifelong learning: A growth mindset encourages continuous improvement through tests and trials. Growth-minded individuals embrace feedback and don’t perceive it as criticism but as an opportunity to grow, which allows them to learn from their experiences.
• Innovation and adaptability: People with a growth mindset are more likely to be receptive to new ideas and approaches, to take calculated risks, and to experiment with different approaches, all of which contribute to their overall growth and success.

Debunking 5 Myths Regarding Fixed Mindsets

Debunking myths regarding fixed mindsets helps us identify the dysfunctional beliefs that such a mindset is based on and better understand the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

So, let’s go over the most common growth mindset vs. fixed mindset examples and myths:

#1. Myth: Talent Is Something You're Either Born With or Without

People boasting a fixed mindset believe that talent is inherent and that unless they are born with a specific gift, skill, or ability, there’s no way they can cultivate it, regardless of how hard they try. In reality, however, talent can be developed through work, dedication, perseverance, consistency, and effort.

#2. Myth: Failure Proves Your Inability

As already mentioned, most individuals with fixed mindsets struggle to accept and overcome their mistakes because they perceive them as a testament to their insufficiency. The antidote to this belief is understanding how valuable mistakes and failures are and how much we grow and learn by embracing them.

#3. Myth: Investing Effort Is a Sign You Lack Talent

This myth is closely tied to the belief that you’re either born with or without a talent. So, the logic is that, since you can’t cultivate a talent, investing effort is not just purposeless and futile but also proof that you don’t have what it takes. Nevertheless, many studies have shown that grit and passion are what’s essential to success—not talent.

#4. Myth: Intelligence Is Predetermined

Many people internalize the belief that IQ is unchangeable and use phrases like "It is what it is" to rationalize their lack of motivation to better themselves. Evidence from neuroplasticity research and other modern scientific disciplines suggests that IQ can be boosted and that the brain is highly malleable and capable of growing as a result of deliberate practice and education.

#5. Myth: There’s No Such Thing As Constructive Criticism

Many people with a fixed mindset tend to feel deeply offended by even the most good-hearted and well-framed criticism, taking it as an attack on their personality. The reason behind this is that they fail to distinguish between their actions and their character traits.

The key to dismantling this belief is understanding that neither success nor failure defines us and that critique can be a great way to learn and improve.

How Can the Enneagram Help Develop a Growth Mindset?

The Enneagram can help you develop a growth mindset by shedding light on your weaknesses and allowing you to understand how your core beliefs shape your behavior. Each Enneagram type is analyzed through their core motivation, fear, desire, and strengths, and recognizing these can spark positive changes.

Let’s take Type One, also known as the Perfectionist, for example, who strives to grow and improve in all aspects yet struggles with accepting their mistakes. Such fear of making mistakes is a common element of the fixed mindset.

By understanding this, Type One can learn to reframe their attitude toward mistakes, thus working toward cultivating a growth mindset.

The Enneagram also describes how each type reacts under stress, their defense mechanisms, and typical childhood wounds. It also offers guidelines for personal growth, encouraging introspection and self-awareness.

So, by helping you become more aware of your reactions, needs, talents, and challenges, the Enneagram illuminates your blind spots, indirectly leading you toward a growth mindset.

Unleash Your Potential With the Enneagram!

Take our free Enneagram test to learn about your personality type and maximize your strengths!

Final Thoughts

So, there’s no doubt that the winner in the growth mindset vs. fixed mindset competition is the former.

That being said, let us return to the most important points regarding the growth mindset vs. fixed mindset insights:

• Cultivating a growth mindset is the key to overcoming many limitations imposed on us through upbringing, cultural influences, or formal education and realizing our full potential.
• It has been scientifically proven that individuals with a growth mindset achieve better learning outcomes and perform better academically.

A growth mindset can be developed with the help of the Enneagram by raising self-awareness and addressing limiting beliefs.