Grit by Angela Duckworth
OBJECTIVE SUMMARY: Grit by Angela Duckworth is an accessible text for students and educators alike where the author's life work on the study of grit (the quality of passion and persistence for long-term goals) is detailed and her theory is set out. According to the NY Times book review by Judith Shulevitz, "The two big ideas about grit that have made Duckworth famous are first, that it predicts success more reliably than talent or I.Q.; and second, that anyone, man or woman, adult or child, can learn to be gritty." Her examples, such as the original purpose for the original IQ test (to test the efficacy of the schools and address deficiencies in the educational offerings) and anecdotes about those who had abysmally low starting points (talent) and rose to the top, prove that both IQ and talent are both not reliable predictors in predicting success because grit is such a better predictor of long-term success and achievement than IQ and talent (assuming a normal range - whether high or low).
Her second half of the book focuses on how to instruct people to learn grittiness. She references the research of Carol Dweck on fostering a growth mindset. She believes that above all else, effort counts most. She cites examples such as Will Smith who says that no matter what, if him and another person get on the treadmill and have a competition; either he will die first or finish last. He will not get off the treadmill no matter what. Her studies have proven that there is a direct correlation between those who have grit and those who survive the rigorous bootcamp at West Point nicknamed, "Beast". Previously, through decades of research, admission counselors and consultants at West Point were unable to find anything that could accurately predict the large number of students who cannot complete the training. Her grit scale, administered to the incoming class accurately correlated the completion of this bootcamp by individuals with a high score on the grit scale. Through sharing anecdotal stories, research findings, examples from her life; and sharing about her own mentoring experience with Martin P. Seligman (father of positive psychology), she paints a detailed account of what grit is, how to assess it, use it, and teach it to others to ensure the flourishing of all individuals - regardless of starting point.
The author starts the book with an anecdote about her father who said she was "no genius." She thought it ironic that she eventually won the MacArthur "Genius" fellowship for her work on grit. Her work is not overly idealistic. She is not promising everyone riches beyond their wildest dreams or winning the next Olympics like some motivational speakers do. Rather, she tries to motivate people to stick it out through the long years of practice, through times when they feel like they are making no progress, through times when they have setbacks, through times when they feel supremely uninspired, and through times when they are not being recognized for their efforts. She expresses the research that states that mastery in any field takes about 10,000 hours (about five years of 40-hour work weeks). She instructs people in the method to persist the inevitable failures, setbacks, plateaus and minor gains that are typical of most people's struggles in their life's work. She is a teacher whose primary message is: grit will take you where you want to go.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE: According to Angela Duckworth, she pursued this work to use the science of psychology to help students thrive. Her purpose is to spread her message that young people, and people in general; should assess and cultivate this quality in their lives. Her intention is to motivate people to never give up, to act with never-ending determination, and to help businesses and schools foster this quality in young people. She wants to help parents, educators and leaders to guide young people to pursue their long-term goals with passion and perseverance - not constantly shifting their focus and being distracted by every little thing. Her intention is inspire people to long-term pursuit of goals. Passion is energetic enthusiasm for your interests and perseverance is persistence despite obstacles or distraction. Her life's work is to assess, foster, and grow grittiness in her readers and the society at large.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
WRITING STRATEGY: Anecdote is defined by dictionary.com as "a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature." Ms. Duckworth's use of anecdote serves to illustrate her ideas through example. She uses anecdotes of her father, Will Smith, and other individuals who were highly successful to demonstrate her point that it is not individuals who shine who win in the end - it is those who often have early failures yet persevere. Her point that grit is a consummate quality, one that arises after years of hard-won victories, not something that typical people are born with. Her use of short stories of grit paragons demonstrates for us in a concrete manner what she means when she constantly refers to this mythical quality of "grit". What is at once elusive when first reading the title becomes evident through examples with context, dialogue, details, events which are told in an interesting and amusing nature.
CURRENT DEBATES: A current debate around the topic of grit is how much can this quality help someone to overcome extremely difficult obstacles like lack of resources or extreme poverty? If someone is born into a dysfunctional family and extreme poverty, it may take a tremendous amount of grit just to eek out a survival method for everyday. Without the resources like medical, psychological, social, and educational supports to thrive; will this individual really flourish? Can just anybody truly overcome extreme inequalities in background given they practice, cultivate and demonstrate grit? This issue was unresolved in the reading and begs for further exploration.
Her second half of the book focuses on how to instruct people to learn grittiness. She references the research of Carol Dweck on fostering a growth mindset. She believes that above all else, effort counts most. She cites examples such as Will Smith who says that no matter what, if him and another person get on the treadmill and have a competition; either he will die first or finish last. He will not get off the treadmill no matter what. Her studies have proven that there is a direct correlation between those who have grit and those who survive the rigorous bootcamp at West Point nicknamed, "Beast". Previously, through decades of research, admission counselors and consultants at West Point were unable to find anything that could accurately predict the large number of students who cannot complete the training. Her grit scale, administered to the incoming class accurately correlated the completion of this bootcamp by individuals with a high score on the grit scale. Through sharing anecdotal stories, research findings, examples from her life; and sharing about her own mentoring experience with Martin P. Seligman (father of positive psychology), she paints a detailed account of what grit is, how to assess it, use it, and teach it to others to ensure the flourishing of all individuals - regardless of starting point.
The author starts the book with an anecdote about her father who said she was "no genius." She thought it ironic that she eventually won the MacArthur "Genius" fellowship for her work on grit. Her work is not overly idealistic. She is not promising everyone riches beyond their wildest dreams or winning the next Olympics like some motivational speakers do. Rather, she tries to motivate people to stick it out through the long years of practice, through times when they feel like they are making no progress, through times when they have setbacks, through times when they feel supremely uninspired, and through times when they are not being recognized for their efforts. She expresses the research that states that mastery in any field takes about 10,000 hours (about five years of 40-hour work weeks). She instructs people in the method to persist the inevitable failures, setbacks, plateaus and minor gains that are typical of most people's struggles in their life's work. She is a teacher whose primary message is: grit will take you where you want to go.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE: According to Angela Duckworth, she pursued this work to use the science of psychology to help students thrive. Her purpose is to spread her message that young people, and people in general; should assess and cultivate this quality in their lives. Her intention is to motivate people to never give up, to act with never-ending determination, and to help businesses and schools foster this quality in young people. She wants to help parents, educators and leaders to guide young people to pursue their long-term goals with passion and perseverance - not constantly shifting their focus and being distracted by every little thing. Her intention is inspire people to long-term pursuit of goals. Passion is energetic enthusiasm for your interests and perseverance is persistence despite obstacles or distraction. Her life's work is to assess, foster, and grow grittiness in her readers and the society at large.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- When have you displayed grit in your life?
- What does it look like when someone does not show grit?
- Why is grit important?
- Describe a gritty person you know. What are they like?
- What other qualities typically accompany grit?
- How do you think someone measures grit?
WRITING STRATEGY: Anecdote is defined by dictionary.com as "a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature." Ms. Duckworth's use of anecdote serves to illustrate her ideas through example. She uses anecdotes of her father, Will Smith, and other individuals who were highly successful to demonstrate her point that it is not individuals who shine who win in the end - it is those who often have early failures yet persevere. Her point that grit is a consummate quality, one that arises after years of hard-won victories, not something that typical people are born with. Her use of short stories of grit paragons demonstrates for us in a concrete manner what she means when she constantly refers to this mythical quality of "grit". What is at once elusive when first reading the title becomes evident through examples with context, dialogue, details, events which are told in an interesting and amusing nature.
CURRENT DEBATES: A current debate around the topic of grit is how much can this quality help someone to overcome extremely difficult obstacles like lack of resources or extreme poverty? If someone is born into a dysfunctional family and extreme poverty, it may take a tremendous amount of grit just to eek out a survival method for everyday. Without the resources like medical, psychological, social, and educational supports to thrive; will this individual really flourish? Can just anybody truly overcome extreme inequalities in background given they practice, cultivate and demonstrate grit? This issue was unresolved in the reading and begs for further exploration.