Paradoxically, others may hold a fixed mindset not
because of repeated failure, but because of easy
success. They may think, “I’ve always done well in
math without trying very hard. Everyone thinks I’m
good at it. I’m not going to take any chances by putting
myself in a position where they might see me fail.” They
have invested in their image as a math whiz, and they
are afraid to risk it. Or they may fall apart when they
finally encounter a challenge after long-term success:
“I’ve always been praised for my writing, but now this
teacher is criticizing my essay—maybe I’m not really
a good writer after all.” Their prior easy success has
left them without a repertoire of strategies to overcome
difficulty