Beliefs That Hinder Learning

Estimated Time: 4 hours

In this section we will explore some belief systems and behaviors that can hinder learning including:

Limiting Beliefs
Learned Helplessness
Automatic Negative Thoughts

Limiting Beliefs

In the previous section of this week’s lesson, you reflected on your different identities. While it is great to have a strong set of identities, as you saw in the final reflection, your identities can shape your beliefs about yourself. As a consequence, they can shape what you believe you are capable, or deserving, of, leading to something called limiting beliefs.

Beliefs describe what we think we can and cannot do in life, what we think we deserve and don’t deserve in life, and what we believe to be true about the world and others. When beliefs restrict us in some way (e.g. stopping us from reaching our goals or pursuing things that would make us happy), they can be described as limiting beliefs.

Here are some examples of limiting beliefs:

I am not talented enough to ...
I don’t have enough experience to ...
I can’t do this because I will fail.
I shouldn't speak up because ...
I’m not a leader.
I’ll never be successful.
It’s too late for me to ...
I’m too young to ...
I'm too old to ...
I don’t have enough money to ...
They will reject me because ...
I don’t have time to ...
I need ... before I can ...
I don’t need help from anyone to ...

Limiting beliefs are usually not grounded in facts or evidence, and are often just stories that we tell ourselves based on our past negative experiences (negative emotional memories) or strongly held identities.

How to Identify Your Limiting Beliefs 🔎

Identifying a limiting belief can sometimes be challenging, as they can be deeply ingrained and automatic. However, here are some signs that can help you recognize when something may be a limiting belief:

Reflection: Limiting Beliefs

Becoming aware of your limiting beliefs requires introspection and self-reflection. Here are some techniques that you can integrate into your life to become more aware of when they might be guiding your behavior:

Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Pay attention to recurring patterns or negative self-talk that may indicate underlying limiting beliefs.
Journaling: Keep a journal and write down your thoughts, beliefs, and any self-limiting statements that come to mind. Regularly review your journal entries to identify common themes and beliefs that may be holding you back.
Self-inquiry: Ask yourself probing questions to explore your beliefs and thought patterns. For example, ask yourself, "What do I believe about my abilities in this area?" or "What fears or doubts come up when I think about pursuing my goals?"
Triggers and reactions: Pay attention to situations or circumstances that trigger strong emotional reactions in you. These emotional responses can often uncover underlying beliefs or insecurities that you may not be consciously aware of.
Feedback from others: Seek feedback from trusted friends, family, or mentors who can provide an outside perspective. Sometimes, others can spot limiting beliefs that you may not see in yourself.
Reflection: Reflect on past experiences where you may have felt stuck or held back. Consider the beliefs that were present during those times and how they may have influenced your actions or decisions.
Comparison traps: Be mindful of comparing yourself to others and the beliefs that arise from such comparisons. Notice if you have thoughts like "I'll never be as successful as them" or "I'm not good enough compared to them," as these can indicate limiting beliefs.
Pay attention to self-talk: Observe the language and tone of your inner dialogue. Notice if you frequently use negative or self-critical language, as this can provide clues about your limiting beliefs.

How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Step 1 (Awareness): Recognize that you have a belief and that it is limiting
- Identify your limiting beliefs using the methods mentioned above.
Step 2 (Question): Separate "the stories" from "the facts"
- Analyze the accuracy of the limiting belief by determining its source:
  - Is it informed by assumptions, external expectations, or stereotypes?
  - Are there any facts or evidence to support that the belief is true?
- Question what you know about the situation until you are left with answers that are supported by concrete facts.
- Look for evidence that proves or disproves your belief. Often, limiting beliefs lack solid evidence and are based on misconceptions or fear.
- Seek examples of people who have overcome similar challenges or have achieved what you desire, despite any perceived limitations.
Step 3 (Reframe) Develop an alternate belief
- One powerful way to develop an alternate belief is to reverse the "Limiting Belief" into an "Empowering Belief", and see what it feels like to live with this new reality. For example:
  - Limiting Belief: "I shouldn't speak up in class because my answer is probably wrong and people will think I am dumb."
  - Empowering Belief: "I should speak up in class because my answer is probably correct and people will think I am smart."
Step 4: (Take Action) Put the empowering belief into practice
- When a situation triggers the old limiting belief, think of the empowering belief instead, and let it guide your behavior.
- You can also use quotes and visualisation to help you disrupt your "limiting belief" and replace it with your "empowering belief".
- Some additional ways to overcome your limiting belief include:
  - Visualize success: Use the power of visualization to imagine yourself successfully overcoming your limiting beliefs. Picture yourself achieving your goals, breaking through barriers, and living your life without those self-imposed limitations. This visualization can help reinforce your new empowering beliefs.
  - Take small steps: Break down your goals into smaller, manageable steps. By taking action towards your goals, you'll build evidence that disproves your limiting beliefs. Celebrate each small victory along the way, as it will further strengthen your belief in your abilities.
  - Surround yourself with support: Seek out positive and supportive individuals who can help you challenge your limiting beliefs. Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and your potential can be immensely helpful in overcoming self-doubt and building confidence.
  - Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself throughout this process. Recognize that challenging and changing deep-seated beliefs takes time and effort. Treat yourself with compassion and understanding if you face setbacks or encounter resistance along the way.
  - Repeat the process: Overcoming limiting beliefs is an ongoing process. As you grow and face new challenges, new beliefs may arise. Continually practice self-awareness and question any beliefs that hold you back, applying the steps outlined above to overcome them.

Meet Ama

Ama has always been passionate about technology. However, as her first term at Kibo progressed, she started doubting her abilities. She found herself comparing her skills to those of her classmates, who seemed to grasp programming concepts effortlessly. As a result, she developed a limiting belief that she wasn't smart enough to succeed in computer science.

One day, Ama gathered up the courage to share her struggles with a classmate, James. To her surprise, James revealed that he had recently felt the same way, and that many of their classmates faced similar challenges. And that she shouldn't give up because success in computer science requires persistence and practice because your brain needs the time to form strong neural connections.

Inspired by their conversation, Ama decided to confront her limiting beliefs head-on. She began to seek help from her classmates, instructors, and teaching assistants in office hours and on the Discord help forums. They patiently explained complex concepts and provided her with additional resources for self study. Ama also joined a study group comprised of supportive classmates. Together, they tackled programming assignments, reviewed class material, and shared their struggles and triumphs. This collaborative environment gave her a sense of belonging and boosted her confidence.

As Ama actively engaged in the learning process, she noticed small victories along the way. Solving a particularly challenging coding problem or successfully debugging a program brought her a sense of accomplishment. These moments gradually chipped away at her limiting belief, replacing it with an empowering belief in her ability to learn and grow. Ama also realized that consistent practice was key to improving her skills, so she made sure to do all the practice exercises on the course sites. Though there were times when she faced setbacks, she embraced them as opportunities to learn and refine her approach.

By the end of her first year, Ama had transformed her self-perception. She had overcome her limiting beliefs and recognized her own potential. With a renewed sense of confidence, she eagerly looked forward to the upcoming years of her computer science journey, knowing that she was capable of achieving anything she put her mind to.

Learned Helplessness

The concept of learned helplessness is very similar to limiting beliefs. It is based on the idea that previous experiences can limit what you think you are capable of, even when those limitations are removed.

Meet Chinedu

Chinedu had a passion for computers since he was young. His family encouraged his interest in technology, and he excelled in computer-related subjects in secondary school. With high hopes, he joined Kibo to pursue a degree in computer science.

Initially, Chinedu found the coursework challenging but manageable. However, as he progressed through his program, he encountered more complex programming concepts and advanced algorithms that proved difficult to grasp. He started struggling to keep up with the pace of the classes and felt overwhelmed by the increasing workload.

With each setback, Chinedu's self-confidence decreased, and he began doubting his abilities. Negative thoughts filled his mind, telling him, "I'm not smart enough for this," or "Everyone else seems to understand this except me." The more he believed these thoughts, the more they reinforced his feelings of powerlessness.

As a result, Chinedu began avoiding challenging assignments and procrastinating on projects. He convinced himself that no matter how much effort he put in, he would never reach the level of his peers. He stopped seeking help from his instructors and classmates, convinced that their assistance wouldn't make a difference, and that they would just think he wasn't good enough to be at Kibo.

With each disappointing grade, Chinedu internalized it as proof of his incompetence. Even when he was studying Computer Systems, an area that he was highliy skilled in, he still performed poor academically because he stopped putting in the effort. Over time, his motivation dwindled, and he found it harder to find joy in the subject he once loved.

Chinedu became passive in class discussions and group projects, believing his contributions held no value. He stopped taking risks and exploring new programming languages or techniques, fearing that he would only encounter more failure. His confidence plummeted, and he felt stuck in a cycle of self-doubt.

Chinedu is experiencing learned helplessness.

Discussion: Utilizing Learned Optimism when Learning

Counteracting Learned Helplessness

Remember Chinedu? Let's talk about some tactics that he could use to overcome his learned helplessness. If you ever feel caught in a similar situation, these might be helpful for you as well!

1 - Recognize and challenge negative beliefs: Chinedu needs to become aware of his negative self-talk and challenge the limiting beliefs that contribute to his learned helplessness. He can start by questioning the validity of his thoughts and replacing them with more positive and empowering statements. For example, instead of thinking, "I'm not smart enough," he can reframe it as, "I have the capacity to learn and improve."

2 - Seek support and guidance: It's essential for Chinedu to seek support from instructors and teaching assistants. By reaching out for help, he can gain a deeper understanding of challenging concepts and receive guidance on effective study strategies. Building relationships with classmates who share similar struggles can also provide a supportive network for learning and growth.

3 - Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps: Large projects or assignments may feel overwhelming to Chinedu, leading to procrastination or avoidance. By breaking them down into smaller, more achievable tasks, he can make progress incrementally. Celebrating each completed step can boost motivation and instill a sense of accomplishment.

4 - Embrace a growth mindset: Chinedu should cultivate a growth mindset, which emphasizes the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and practice. Embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and viewing failures as learning experiences will help him bounce back from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties. We will learn more about this in the next section of this week's lesson.

5 - Set realistic goals and track progress: Chinedu can set specific, attainable goals that align with his academic aspirations. Breaking these goals into smaller milestones and regularly tracking his progress will provide a sense of achievement and help him stay motivated. Celebrating even small victories can reinforce positive beliefs about his abilities.

6 - Learn how to learn: Chinedu can enhance his learning experience by adopting effective learning habits. This includes creating a structured study schedule, finding a conducive study environment, utilizing active learning techniques, and seeking opportunities for hands-on practice.

7 - Embrace mistakes and learn from them: Chinedu should view mistakes and failures as natural parts of the learning process. Instead of allowing them to reinforce his helplessness, he can analyze what went wrong, identify areas for improvement, and adjust his strategies accordingly. Using mistakes as fuel for learning will enable him to see setbacks as valuable learning opportunities.

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTS)

To close out this section, we are going to explore the driver that creates the thoughts that prop up our limiting beliefs and feelings of helplessness. These negative thoughts are often so automatic that we don't realize how much they shape how we view or interact with the world around us.

Here are some of the most common ANTs (these were all mentioned in the video):

All-or-nothing Thinking: "You see things in black-and-white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure."
Overgenerlization: "You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat."
Mental Filter: "You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that discolors the entire beaker of water."
Disqualifying the Positive: "You reject positive experiences by insisting they “don’t count” for some reason or other. In this way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday experiences."
Jumping to Conclusions: "You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion."
Mind Reading: "You arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don’t bother to check this out."
Fortune Telling: "You anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already-established fact."
Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization: "You exaggerate the importance of things (such as your goof-up or someone else’s achievement), or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny (your own desirable qualities or other fellow’s imperfections). This is also called the “binocular trick.”"
Emotional Reasoning: "You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: “I feel it, therefore it must be true.”"
Should Statements: "You try to motivate yourself with should and shouldn’t, as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything. “Musts” and “oughts” are also offenders. The emotional consequences are guilt. When you direct should statements toward others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment."
Labeling and Mislabeling: "This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself. “I’m a loser.” When someone else’s behavior rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to him” “He’s a louse.” Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded."
Personalization: "You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event, which in fact you were not primarily responsible for.”

Source

Optimizing Your Learning