The Secrets of Gritty People | Angela Duckworth

Defining Grit

Angela Duckworth defines grit as a blend of passion and perseverance aimed at achieving long-term goals. She emphasizes that grit is not necessarily linked to talent or IQ, as her research shows no positive correlation between them. Duckworth explains that grit involves a consistent interest and effort, which she discovered through studying high achievers and historical figures like Isaac Newton 1.

I define grit as the combination of passion and perseverance for really long term goals.

--- Angela Duckworth

She also highlights the overlap between grit and resilience, noting that resilience involves persisting in adversity, while grit includes daily perseverance and passion 2.

   

Grit vs Talent

Duckworth explores the relationship between grit and talent, revealing that they do not necessarily go hand in hand. Her findings suggest that higher IQ scores do not guarantee higher grit levels, indicating that cognitive abilities differ from the motivation to use them effectively 1.

Sometimes I just find a data set and they're like going the opposite direction. Sometimes I find that they're not at all related.

--- Angela Duckworth

She shares insights on how top-level goals can help individuals overcome setbacks, using the example of a restaurant owner who shifted focus to community organizing after closing her business 3.