The Superhero Mindset

"Jason never fully understood about what even the most powerful of adversaries feared in Batman. It was never his strength. Or his stealth. Or even his ominous nature. It is always....his resolve." -Batman, Franchise Part Two: The Away Team

Superheroes usually come out on top in even the most dire of situations, but on occasion they fail. However, even if they fail, they learn from the situation and try again until they are successful. They exhibit grit, which is defined as courage and resolve; strength of character, according to Google.

According to research by Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, students who exhibited grit were the most successful. They didn't give up! It all came down to their mindset.

The superhero mindset could be best described as a growth mindset. Carol Dweck, Ph.D., proposed that people could be divided into two different mindsets. They either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe that their abilities are innate and not much can be done to change that. They often avoid challenges and give up easily. They usually don't take criticism well and they don't delight in the success of others because it makes them feel like a failure. The underachiever's motto,"I failed because I didn't really try."

Those with a growth mindset, the true superheroes, will welcome a challenge and work through difficulty. They are open to constructive criticism and learn from it. They know they can learn from the success of others and that consistent effort pays off.

Here are a few ways to cultivate grit and the growth mindset.