, Columnist
I Think, Therefore I Can
Positive thinking has a strong relationship with success.
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If you ever have the time, read ``Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,'' by Carol Dweck. Actually, if you don't have the time, try to make it. Because trying to do things you think you can't do is the whole point of ``Mindset.''
There's a belief out there that Americans don't try as hard at things as they used to -- that we used to persevere and hustle and have grit, but now we coast on our natural abilities and quit when the going gets tough. I'm not sure how to check if this is true, but Carol Dweck -- a Stanford psychologist whose life work has been to study this sort of thing -- agrees. Whether Americans are getting wimpier and more entitled, Dweck's message is an absolutely crucial one. She's truly a thinker for our age.