Modern science builds the case for an old-fashioned virtue - and uncovers new secrets to success.
In recent years, psychologists have come up with a term to describe this mental trait: grit. Although the idea itself isn�t new - �Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,� Thomas Edison famously remarked - the researchers are quick to point out that grit isn�t simply about the willingness to work hard. Instead, it�s about setting a specific long-term goal and doing whatever it takes until the goal has been reached. It�s always much easier to give up, but people with grit can keep going. ....
I�d bet that there isn�t a single highly successful person who hasn�t depended on grit,� says Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania who helped pioneer the study of grit. �Nobody is talented enough to not have to work hard, and that�s what grit allows you to do.�
The hope among scientists is that a better understanding of grit will allow educators to teach the skill in schools and lead to a generation of grittier children. Parents, of course, have a big role to play as well, since there�s evidence that even offhand comments - such as how a child is praised - can significantly influence the manner in which kids respond to challenges. And it�s not just educators and parents who are interested in grit: the United States Army has supported much of the research, as it searches for new methods of identifying who is best suited for the stress of the battlefield.
h/t Neuroanthropology
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