Mindset RRJ 2

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1. Sternin goes to Vietnam with his wife and son to try to help improve the
malnourished children, but he only had 6 months. To start he decided to go to
villages to find out what healthy children were eating and discovered that
they were eating the same amount of food just that the mothers had
separated the food into 4 portions instead of 2. Sternin decided that to fix the
problem that the mothers needed to practice to change their behavior and
not just tell them to. In addition, the section discusses how bright spots can
give hope for the Elephant and direction for the Rider. Also, problems can be
solved with just small changes.
2. This section was actually very interesting. I found it interesting because of
how they solved problems with just little changes. This reminded me about
the book Spare Parts. It reminded me about when the four students from Carl
Hayden solve a problem that MIT also had. The difference was that MIT made
the solution very complicated and Carl Hayden did a very simple solution that
worked just as well.
3. Why do you think people tend to make solutions so complicated when a
simple solution can work just as well?
Why do you think your emotions (the Elephant) usually have more power?
4. I felt distracted when I was reading this section. I think it was because I had
seen how much I had to read and I felt like I had no time to do it. But then I
just sat down and read it.
5. Emulating match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by
imitation. (Google) I chose this word because even though I had an idea of
what it meant I wanted to be sure.
Deviation the action of departing from an established course or accepted
standard. (Google) I chose this word because I had never seen or heard it
before.
Solution a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.
(Google) I chose this word because I felt like it was important in the section.
Drive
1. In this section the author discusses a research done on junior-high-school
students. The researchers wanted to figure out if they taught the students to
be growth minded then would they improve their math skills. In the beginning
many students just thought that there was no way to change their learning
abilities they thought that was how they were born. When they were told that
their minds were like muscles and that they could get smarter they saw hope.
These students once saw failing was the last step and that there was no way
of improving but the researchers changed their minds.

2. I think this was interesting. I think that every child should be taught to be
growth minded. If there are more growth minded children then, I think, there
wont be so many people not going on to college.
3. Do you agree that fix minded people should learn to be growth minded? Why?
Do you think the research would have been as effective if they had
researched younger children? College students? Why or why not?
4. The time went by quickly because this section wasnt as much pages and I
was motivated to finish it. Also, because I was really interested on the topic.
5. Preeminent surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way. (Google) I
picked this word because I didnt know what it meant.
Optimism hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful
outcome of something. (Google) I chose this word because even though I
knew what it meant I felt like it was important.
Paradox a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently
sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems
senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory. (Google) I chose this
word because I had never heard it before.