There is a paradox in how we talk about politics and how we talk about raising children. There’s a lot of chatter in schools about growth mindset these days. We encourage our children to focus on how they can re-channel negativity to think about what they can accomplish rather than wallow in what they cannot do. It’s the ol’ “I will try harder” versus “I can’t do it” mentality. Post-it notes and posters adorn the walls of schools all over my district to reaffirm positive mindsets to students and teachers alike.
Meanwhile, in politics all we can focus on is who’s electable based on what can be done rather than what one’s aspirations are. The paradigm seems to be negative, contrary to growth mindset. All we do is talk about what one presidential candidate can accomplish in this political climate versus the other. For the record, I don’t think a Democrat in the White House is going to change much as long as Congress is dyed in the wool red. No one talks about creating the country we want to be, the country we can be, and the country we should be. Instead, we focus on making the best of what we have, which is a mess. Do aspirations and idealized dreams count for nothing? In politics or otherwise, I chase my dreams based on aspirations, not what I can realistically accomplish. Had I been ensnared in that mindset I would have never applied to Northwestern University for graduate school or emailed my first magazine pitch letter.
Stop and think about this a moment. Is this how we would approach our children should they have high aspirations? Would we beat them down from the get-go saying you will never accomplish that? Should we squash the risks they take because there’s someone better, stronger, faster, smarter, richer, funnier in the wings? Or would we applaud their ambition and celebrate their gumption? Shouldn’t we boost their ideas and let them bask in what could be and the thrill of trying? Is this outlook not acceptable for all that life throws at us?
I’ve been tagged as more idealist than realist, but I’m OK with that. I prefer my La-la Land dreams and goals and wishes. The world is built on reality (as it must be, admittedly), but that mindset tends to be a bit of a downer. It goes without saying that dreams must eventually touch ground. It is possible to be a grounded idealist, oxymoronic that it sounds. Pie in the sky ideas have given us every innovation and invention we know. It takes a risk taking constitution to be a dreamer. We are an ilk that strives for better. We compromise but don’t settle. As for this election, it’s a shame that so many people are focusing on maintaining the status quo rather than busting through a system that has not worked for a very long time. Call it a revolution if you must. Maybe it’s time for a growth mindset when it comes to politics, not just child rearing.