Rejection is a universal (and universally disliked) experience, but it’s one that we each experience differently. Sometimes, getting rejected hurts more than we expect, especially if our immediate response is to become self-critical. What makes one person more resilient than another in the face of rejection? It often comes down to mindset. People with “fixed” mindsets chronically judge themselves and tend to see their outcomes as evidence of who they are and what they’re capable of. For example, getting a bad grade on a test leads them to think they’re not smart. But people with “growth” mindsets see outcomes as evidence of what they could improve upon in the future and what challenges they can overcome. The next time you’re faced with rejection, consider the extenuating circumstances and think about what you can learn from the situation to quickly move on to a better place.
Adapted from "To Recover Faster from Rejection, Shift Your Mindset," by Nicole Torres
