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Overview
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2016) by the psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that long-term achievement depends on more than talent. She defines grit as sustained passion and perseverance for long-term goals, and presents it as a trait that can be encouraged. The book blends research, interviews with high performers and personal stories. It reached a very large audience in education and business. It is best read alongside later evidence, because studies suggest grit overlaps with existing personality traits and predicts outcomes less strongly than the popular message implies.
Context
Duckworth, a former management consultant and teacher, studied achievement under psychologist Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research looked at cadets, spelling-bee finalists and students. Grit became a popular idea in the 2010s, and schools experimented with measuring it. Later critics and Duckworth herself warned against using it for high-stakes decisions.
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Curator's notes
- Why it matters
- Popular applied psychology. Note: replication studies show smaller effects than claimed.
- Use in training and coaching
- Teach with honesty about the evidence; your audiences deserve it
- Connects to
- Pico; William James
- What to read
- Selected chapters
- Text (date)
- Carol Dweck, Mindset (2006); Angela Duckworth, Grit (2016)
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