{"id":6262,"date":"2020-01-06T14:38:10","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T18:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=6262"},"modified":"2022-03-18T15:47:26","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T19:47:26","slug":"negative-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/negative-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Negative Labels\u2014How They Hurt You + What to Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are the impacts of negative labels? How do fixed mindsets–yours and those of the people around you–contribute to negative labeling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover what negative labeling is, why it’s harmful, and how you may be doing it–to yourself or others–without realizing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Negative Labels<\/strong>: How They Develop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A fixed mindset<\/a> that stereotypes groups of people with negative labels undercuts their performance<\/strong>. For instance, this affects girls who are told they\u2019re bad at math and science, and African Americans who are stereotyped as less intelligent.
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A study showed that checking a box indicating your race or sex before taking a test can remind you of the stereotypes surrounding those negative labels and lower your score if you have a fixed mindset. <\/strong>In growth-minded students, the stereotype doesn\u2019t affect performance. Further, the study showed that students perform equally when no stereotypes are invoked. 
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Researchers theorized that the stereotypes distracted and worried fixed-minded students, detracting from their ability to concentrate on the test. It also suggested a growth mindset<\/a> can help students counteract negative labels when they encounter them<\/strong>.
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Stereotypes also hinder people\u2019s development by making them feel they don\u2019t belong \u2014 in a certain college, program, course, or occupation. Many women and minorities drop out of environments where they feel they\u2019re not fitting in, especially if they have a fixed mindset.
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Vulnerability to Opinion<\/strong> and Negative Labels<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The gender gap in math and science is no doubt widened by fixed mindsets as well as stereotyping. These fields need to be more friendly to women \u2014 and women would benefit from learning a growth mindset to overcome negative messages and negative labels about girls\u2019 abilities to succeed in these fields.
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Negative Labels and Coping with Rejection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Often, negative labels come from our own negative self-talk<\/a>. The road to satisfying relationships is marked with disappointments, mistakes, and most devastating of all, rejection. When they experience setbacks, some people are able to heal and move on to better relationships, while others remain stuck or scarred. The difference is mindset.<\/strong>
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Researchers recruited 100 people to describe their experience of rejection. The study compared how those with fixed mindsets handled it versus those with growth mindsets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n