Health
Why Attitude Is More Important Than IQ || By Travis Bradberry
When it comes to success, it’s easy to think that people blessed with brains are inevitably going to leave the rest of us in the dust. But new research from Stanford University will change your mind (and your attitude).
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that people’s core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.
Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart, inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges. People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms.
According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the growth mindset this way,
“Failure is information—we label it failure, but it’s more like, ‘This didn’t work, and I’m a problem solver, so I’ll try something else.’”
Regardless of which side of the chart you fall on, you can make changes and develop a growth mindset. What follows are some strategies that will fine-tune your mindset and help you make certain it’s as growth oriented as possible.
Don’t stay helpless. We all hit moments when we feel helpless. The test is how we react to that feeling. We can either learn from it and move forward or let it drag us down. There are countless successful people who would have never made it if they had succumbed to feelings of helplessness: Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas,” Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a TV anchor in Baltimore for being “too emotionally invested in her stories,” Henry Ford had two failed car companies prior to succeeding with Ford, and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC’s Cinematic Arts School multiple times. Imagine what would have happened if any of these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to the rejection and given up hope. People with a growth mindset don’t feel helpless because they know that in order to be successful, you need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Be passionate. Empowered people pursue their passions relentlessly. There’s always going to be someone who’s more naturally talented than you are, but what you lack in talent, you can make up for in passion. Empowered people’s passion is what drives their unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Warren Buffett recommends finding your truest passions using, what he calls, the 5/25 technique: Write down the 25 things that you care about the most. Then, cross out the bottom 20. The remaining 5 are your true passions. Everything else is merely a distraction.
Take action. It’s not that people with a growth mindset are able to overcome their fears because they are braver than the rest of us; it’s just that they know fear and anxiety are paralyzing emotions and that the best way to overcome this paralysis is to take action. People with a growth mindset are empowered, and empowered people know that there’s no such thing as a truly perfect moment to move forward. So why wait for one? Taking action turns all your worry and concern about failure into positive, focused energy.
Then go the extra mile (or two). Empowered people give it their all, even on their worst days. They’re always pushing themselves to go the extra mile. One of Bruce Lee’s pupils ran three miles every day with him. One day, they were about to hit the three-mile mark when Bruce said, “Let’s do two more.” His pupil was tired and said, “I’ll die if I run two more.” Bruce’s response? “Then do it.” His pupil became so angry that he finished the full five miles. Exhausted and furious, he confronted Bruce about his comment, and Bruce explained it this way: “Quit and you might as well be dead. If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”
If you aren’t getting a little bit better each day, then you’re most likely getting a little worse—and what kind of life is that?
Expect results. People with a growth mindset know that they’re going to fail from time to time, but they never let that keep them from expecting results. Expecting results keeps you motivated and feeds the cycle of empowerment. After all, if you don’t think you’re going to succeed, then why bother?
Be flexible. Everyone encounters unanticipated adversity. People with an empowered, growth-oriented mindset embrace adversity as a means for improvement, as opposed to something that holds them back. When an unexpected situation challenges an empowered person, they flex until they get results.
Don’t complain when things don’t go your way. Complaining is an obvious sign of a fixed mindset. A growth mindset looks for opportunity in everything, so there’s no room for complaints.
Bringing It All Together
By keeping track of how you respond to the little things, you can work every day to keep yourself on the right side of the chart above.
Source: Forbes
The Oyo State Ministry of Health has closed two hospitals in Saki West Local Government Area following a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever, which has claimed four lives.
The fatalities, confirmed by the Oyo State Rapid Response Team (RRT), include three males and a 32-year-old female who was preparing for her wedding. The closure of the hospitals aims to contain the spread of the disease and ensure thorough decontamination.
In a press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, revealed that the RRT was dispatched to Saki following distress calls from residents reporting mysterious deaths.
Findings and Immediate Actions
The RRT, comprising health officials, representatives from WHO and the Red Cross, and local health authorities, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the outbreak.
Preliminary findings suggest that an apprentice at one of the affected hospitals, who had recently returned from Iwajowa Local Government Area, might have introduced the infection.
The team disclosed that the deceased exhibited symptoms consistent with Lassa fever, such as craniofacial bleeding. The hospital owner, who was among the deceased, initially self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics before seeking hospital care when his condition worsened.
Containment Measures
Both the hospital where the fatalities occurred and the facility that admitted the hospital owner were shut down for decontamination.
Contact tracing efforts are ongoing, focusing on high-risk individuals who had contact with the deceased during their illness or burial.
Affected health workers were trained on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and public awareness campaigns were conducted to educate residents about Lassa fever.
Samples have been collected from a symptomatic individual, pending laboratory confirmation. Line-listing of contacts is underway to identify potential cases and prevent further spread.
Collaborative Efforts
The RRT also paid an advocacy visit to the Okere of Saki’s palace to brief traditional authorities on the situation. Local government officials in Saki West were engaged to coordinate containment strategies.
Reports indicate that while the outbreak initially affected Saki West, it has extended to Iwajowa and Kajola Local Government Areas.
Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) in the affected LGAs have been instructed to commence preliminary containment measures as the State RRT ramps up its response.
Call for Vigilance
The Ministry of Health has urged residents to remain vigilant, report any symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever, and adhere to preventive measures.
These include proper hygiene practices, avoiding contact with rodents, and seeking medical attention promptly if symptoms arise.
A member representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has announced a plan to launch a “Mobile Clinic” programme aimed at providing essential healthcare services directly to rural communities across the constituency.
Scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, this initiative underscores Oseni’s commitment to expanding healthcare access, particularly for underserved populations.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th-anniversary celebration of God’s Knot Hospital in Ologuneru, Ibadan, the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), highlighted the programme’s primary objective: bringing healthcare closer to the people.
“Every community deserves attention; healthcare should never be bound by geographical barriers,” Oseni stated.
He explained that the mobile clinics would deliver essential health check-ups, screenings, and preventive care in remote areas, allowing residents to access quality healthcare without traveling long distances.
As part of his broader healthcare agenda, Oseni informed, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, that he has already facilitated the construction of two fully equipped maternity centers within his constituency, both slated for commissioning before December 2024. He also disclosed plans to establish two modern general hospitals in 2025, further strengthening his commitment to building a healthier community.
The lawmaker expressed interest in collaborating with God’s Knot Hospital on the mobile clinic project, calling for partnerships to support sustainable healthcare initiatives that enhance the quality of life for vulnerable populations in the constituency.
“I resonate deeply with the mission of God’s Knot Hospital,” Oseni shared, adding that such partnerships would significantly improve healthcare in Oyo State”.
The anniversary event attracted distinguished guests, including former Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, whom Oseni commended for his contributions to healthcare, particularly through the Mother and Child Hospitals that transformed maternal and child healthcare in Ondo State.
Oseni urged philanthropists, government bodies, and international organizations to support healthcare projects like the upcoming mobile clinics, emphasising that the improvement of healthcare services is a shared responsibility.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri following severe flooding that submerged the area and contaminated the drugs sold within the market.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, NAFDAC disclosed that the decision was made after reports surfaced that contaminated drugs, which had been washed and sun-dried for resale, were being sold at the market.
“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the @DGatNAFDAC ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the agency wrote.
The flooding, which ravaged Maiduguri, was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The floodwaters claimed at least 30 lives and displaced 400,000 residents, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas in devastation.
NAFDAC’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health by preventing the sale and consumption of contaminated drugs.
The agency has mobilized teams to inspect the market and ensure the removal of all compromised pharmaceutical products.
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