Personal: March 2007 Archives
My wife and I just moved into a new house. We’re still in the unpacking phase, but the sheer number of unopened boxes is beginning to diminish. Several neighbors came over to help us put boxes into the moving trailer, for which we are both very thankful. We hired a moving company to handle all the larger furniture, including the piano. Looking back, I think that was a great idea. I’m not sure anyone really wants to help a neighbor move something that heavy anyway.
The night before the move my dad asked me if we were ready. We’d done a lot of packing (alright, my wife had done a lot of packing with some assistance from me in the evenings) and had put almost everything in boxes. He then told me, “Tomorrow you’ll learn why I’ve never wanted to move.” Enter ominous music, I though, though he was quite cheerful about it. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant then, but I think I know now. It was still the right decision for us, but it’s takes a lot of work to move your life – even if it’s only a mile.
New York magazine has a great article on how praise affects kids.
Then the students were given a choice of test for the second round. One choice was a test that would be more difficult than the first, but the researchers told the kids that they’d learn a lot from attempting the puzzles. The other choice, Dweck’s team explained, was an easy test, just like the first. Of those praised for their effort, 90 percent chose the harder set of puzzles. Of those praised for their intelligence, a majority chose the easy test. The “smart” kids took the cop-out.
After reading this article, I’ve changed how I talk to my kids. Hard work and effort is essential to success in just about everything worthwhile. I going to try not to praise attributes they were born with and focus instead on what they choose to make of them.
UPDATE: There is another article in Stanford’s Alumni magazine about Dweck’s research and an audio interview by TechNation (courtesy of Guy Kawasaki). She has also recently authored a book about her research.
