It is a way of thinking, a set of beliefs and attitudes that shape our thoughts and actions. It establishes how we view ourselves, the world around us, and our place within it. Our mindset is how our beliefs influence our behaviours, relationships, and reactions. With practice, we can alter our mindsets that are negatively impacting our happiness, success, academic endeavours, and overall satisfaction with life.
We see life through our own unique lens, and that is our mindset – the assumptions and expectations we have about ourselves, our life and the situations around us. According to studies, our mentality has a big impact on what happens. We can enhance our resilience, reduce stress, and improve our health by comprehending, modifying, and changing our mentality.
The belief that human attributes can be developed has a long history, with a turning point in the Renaissance. The Renaissance Age was not just a period in which the arts and sciences flourished. It was, perhaps more importantly, a time when a new conception of what makes us human came into prominence. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, a key thinker of the age, argued that we humans are the only species with the ability to transform ourselves. He states that the very dignity of humans lies precisely in our potential to make ourselves into what we aspire to be.
So, how can we ameliorate the situation is the question.
We have intrinsic habits that drive social interactions because we are members of a highly sociable species. Given that they currently do not perform as intended, these predispositions seem to be an Achilles heel. From Pleistocene to Holocene Age, human tribes likely behaved positively towards members of their own group but not necessarily towards outsiders because humans are evolved to cooperate and look out for each other. At present, we engage with many people we do not know in large-scale communities. But as disagreements intensify, we will all be at risk.
Today our society is challenged by a range of problems and most, if not all, are made worse by our actions. Our minds are shaped by the combined effect of genes and environment. The primary issue is that we’ve deviated from our environments and way of life that evolution intended for us; this has led to what are known as the diseases of modernity or civilization. In addition, we face issues with inequality, overpopulation, declining resources and so on. And although aggression has always been a part of human nature, the present arsenal of weapons exacerbates the consequences of conflicts.
The task can be compared to moving and holding a pendulum out to one side. On the opposite side are our innate tendencies for egoism and aggression, as well as the propensity to label people we do not know as adversaries. In a mind shaped by a random environment, the pendulum points to the ground; that is, behaviour reflecting both amiability and violence is common. Fortunately, all these brain functions are intended to develop social interactions. It implies that we tilt the balance in the desired direction by establishing an atmosphere that is best for promoting conviviality. In simple terms, we need to cultivate a mindset that values gregariousness and empathy above aggression. Getting a firm grasp on the pendulum is the challenging aspect.
The search for ways to improve society dates back to ancient times. Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle contributions are evident; later Utopian movements developed fresh concepts, but the issues are still unresolved. Is it conceivable to view the notion that the government works to control our thoughts and emotions as brainwashing or indoctrination? These ideas bring to mind thoughts of despots who compel others to serve them, as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World forewarns about. Although the current Zeitgeist (spirit of the time) is vehemently against brainwashing, yet all societies are attempting to shape the next generation.
Society will disintegrate if people are not educated and exposed to shared values/ideas. We require a certain degree of moral coherence and cultural harmony as the quality of a society depends on many factors like technology, resources, economy, infrastructure, and institutions, etc., but the key element is, arguably, the human factor – the mindset of the population. Our behaviour, especially in interpersonal relationships, is greatly influenced by the mentality that is mirrored in the culture. Each of us possesses the same set of attributes from birth. It is believed that our environment and unique genetic makeup determine our mental traits, such as social skills, empathy, or violence.To put it briefly, the ability to collaborate with strangers and less biased compassion are essential components of a better society. Genes do not necessarily favour altruistic or friendly behaviour. Egoism and violence are traits that evolution uses to counterbalance our gregariousness. In another way, hostility is a fundamental psychological trait that comes into play when one is faced with a possible enemy. With our natural inclinations towards certain behaviours, the concept of global unity is much desired. It is insufficient to merely advise people to act civilly and support this advice with laws and the threat of punishment; instead, we must figure out strategies to maximise our innate ability for kindness. And we are still not where we should be after more than millennia of thought and significant advancements in science and technology.
In majority of the nations, education system fosters a mentality that values achievement. Presumably, the motivation comes from the minuscule (and sometimes unnoticed) “drops of pleasure” that come from carrying out tasks that are considered beneficial. And for society to advance, education alone is not enough, as our educational system has traditionally focused on fostering knowledge of the type associated with job orientated. We also need to encourage aspirations and a thirst for creative thought. As in today’s societies, aspirations are often motivated by money; if an accomplishment can be turned into cash, the fulfilment is easier to come by. This is not the best of circumstances because it could result in increased pollution and decreased equality. It would be ideal to shift present mental structures so that desires are motivated by the ideas of “working for the benefit of all” or “doing something good.” To do that, we must educate and persuade individuals that social relationship —rather than wealth—are the most crucial component in enhancing human prosperity.
Today, I think we have more options and a better likelihood of success with the advancement in science and technology. Our mindset determines everything and can impact our well-being. Carol S Dweck, an American Psychologist writes in her book MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS (2006) that there are two types of Mindset -Fixed and Growth. A person with a fixed mindset does not want to put in the effort because they believe they already know the outcome. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome. They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues. All of us have both fixed and growth mindsets within us. Any skill may be learned by practice, and in order to practice, one must have the mentality of growth. A growth attitude is something we must instil in our mind.
The brightest people don’t always stay the smartest after all. It largely depends on our mentality. Giving children too much praise can occasionally lead to difficulties; where they get stuck on a fixed mindset and do not try new things. Acquiring proficiency in learning new things may also stem from mental health concerns. If we have a fixed mindset that learning mathematics or language is hard, it will be hard. Even in cases of illness, our mindset can significantly improve the condition. When something requires a lot of effort, we should not get discouraged. It is important to have fun and appreciate the process of learning even when it is difficult. Dr. Jacob Towery, Stanford University writes, “The good news is, mindsets are highly changeable, and if you are willing to learn the technology of changing your mindset and defeating your distorted thoughts, you can have significantly more happiness.”
We need to change our mindset, and approach, and when it happens we will be able to cut off ties with many issues associated with “ism family”. And the first step is that we should stop generalising issues and strive towards a generally accepting society.
-Aloto H Aye (Asuto Village, Zunheboto)
