closed mindset

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A way of thinking in which someone avoids new ideas or challenges and believes their abilities cannot change.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a closed mindset' or 'closed mindsets'.

   Patterns

   • a closed mindset
   • have a closed mindset
   • develop a closed mindset

   A closed mindset can stop you from learning new skills.

   She has a closed mindset about technology and refuses to try any new apps.

   Teachers try to help students avoid a closed mindset when they face difficult problems.

Word forms

Common combinations

have a closed mindset

Some managers have a closed mindset and reject every new idea.

develop a closed mindset

If you only listen to people who agree with you, you may develop a closed mindset.

a closed mindset about something

He has a closed mindset about changing his career.

overcome a closed mindset

With practice, you can overcome a closed mindset and start learning again.

Synonyms and how they differ

fixed mindset

This is the more technical term used in psychology; 'closed mindset' is more everyday and often sounds more judgmental.

narrow-mindedness

This focuses on unwillingness to accept different opinions, while 'closed mindset' focuses on a general attitude toward learning and change.

Opposites

Word family

closed-minded adjective

Unwilling to consider new ideas or other people's opinions.

mindset noun

A person's usual way of thinking about things.

Commonly confused: closed mindset or fixed mindset?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “closed mindset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words