Mindset is the fundamental belief that people have in their ability to meaningfully grow and improve with effort. When someone believes that a certain aspect of themselves (such as their intelligence) is more or less unchangeable, it is known as the fixed mindset. In this mindset, there are ultimately only two kinds of people in the world, the smart and the stupid. On the other hand, if a person thinks of that aspect of themselves a simply a series of skills that can significantly improve over time with effort, it is called a growth mindset. Such individuals thrive on challenge, and are free from the fear of being dumb.