Sonya Thomas lcsw

Viewpoint Diversity – Part 2

Endeavoring to cultivate the skill of viewpoint diversity, here’s a summary of what I  learned by completeing step 2 of the Open Mind app:

  • In order to prevent our certainty from blinding us to other ideas, we must develop intellectual humility: the value espoused by Voltaire, Alexander Pope, Buddha, and many others. We can become wiser by recognizing the limits of our knowledge.
  • But doing so isn’t always easy. Those with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence is set in stone. This often causes them to prioritize looking smart at all costs, which makes it harder to learn and grow. Those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can develop. As a result, they often relish accepting new challenges, which makes it easier for them to learn and grow.
  • In order to inject more growth into your mindset, you can: acknowledge that your abilities are fluid; view each mistake as a learning opportunity; and challenge yourself to do things you haven’t already mastered.

In addition, here are three simple life hacks for you to practice these growth mindset methods:

  • In the next 24 hours, use the word “yet” after describing yourself or your goals, at least three times.
  • In the next 24 hours, whenever you make a mistake, take a moment to identify exactly what you can learn from it.
  • In the next 24 hours, seize an opportunity to try something you were too hesitant to try in the past, such as what you wrote: “Public speaking”

Until next time, Peace.