Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Who succeeds in life? Angela Duckworth, whose new book on grit debuts in May, reviews her research on the tendency to pursue long-term goals with perseverance and passion. She explains the predictive power of grit and shares her thoughts on how to cultivate this hotly debated trait.

“Grit is not fixed,” explained Angela Duckworth. “How gritty you are today isn’t necessarily how gritty you’re going to be tomorrow or next year.” She later asked, “Where is it that we find the ability or the inclination to sustain our interest so that we’re going in the same direction … despite big setbacks, and frankly, despite those little daily setbacks?” Talent counts in achievement, but “effort counts twice,” Duckworth added.

• Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania
• Kate Zernike, The New York Times (moderator)