Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement Cognitive Rigidity: 5 Lessons to build a flexible mind - [Cognitive Biases #6]
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Dec 12, 2025 Dive into the fascinating world of cognitive rigidity and discover five mental traps that can hold you back. Uncover why we often value our own flawed ideas and how immediate gratification sabotages our long-term goals. Explore the impact of social conformity on decision-making. Learn how to overcome functional fixedness with creative thinking and break free from the traps of ownership and unfinished tasks. Plus, see how even great minds like Einstein struggled with flexibility. It's time to open the door to new possibilities!
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Childhood Food Trauma Shows Rigid Routines
- Sam Webster Harris recounts childhood school meals and being forced to eat cabbage until he vomited.
- The story illustrates how rigid routines and norms can cause needless suffering and resistance to change.
Objects Trap Us In Fixed Roles
- Functional fixedness makes us see objects only in their presented role and blocks creative reuse.
- The candle-and-tacks experiment shows people miss simple repurposing solutions because they fixate on original functions.
Actively Reframe How You Use Things
- Practice divergent thinking by listing multiple uses for common objects to break functional fixedness.
- Challenge assumptions and seek novel experiences to widen mental models and reduce boxed thinking.
