Below is an essay about grit, a characteristic and the title of a book by Angela Duckworth. If you don’t already know a little about grit, Angela Duckworth briefly describes it as the combination of passion and perseverance. After reading her book, I describe it as a mix of passion, persistence, practice, effort, interest, purpose, hope, and a gritty community. Her book aims to prove that grit is the common denominator among successful people. I wrote this essay after reading the book for school, and I believe everyone should read her research. My essay discusses only a few factors of grit, so I highly recommend reading the book.
The Factors of Grit
“It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit.” – Angela Duckworth.
The book Grit follows Angela Duckworth’s study of grit, described as the mix of determination and passion, and was published in 2016. In the beginning of the book, she talks about her dad and their relationship. Her father told her that she was “no genius” and would not be successful because of it. However, Duckworth proved that talent is only a minor factor in grit. Other traits heavily outweigh pure talent. In the book, she discusses the many and varied ingredients of grit, as well as how it can be developed, not only in yourself but also in the people you care about. Duckworth writes about perseverance, discipline, passion, loyalty to your interests, and deliberate practice, and how these qualities create grit.
“The highly accomplished were paragons of perseverance.”
On page eight of her book, Angela Duckworth discusses various psychological projects and the people involved in her studies, but most importantly, she emphasizes perseverance. Perseverance is a very important factor of grit. You must get back up when knocked down and not be discouraged by failure. Motivation and encouragement from failure are perseverance, using those experiences as stepping stones towards greatness and improvement. Perseverance, determination, and grit go hand in hand. In terms of grit, perseverance signifies overcoming complex tasks or emotional hardships because you are loyal to a single long-term goal.
On page 64, Duckworth states, “What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way.” In the book Grit, passion, and holding on to your interests are key aspects of Angela’s research. Being gritty is not only about persevering and getting yourself back up when you’re down, but also about longevity and consistency. Having grit doesn’t mean doing something effortfully for only a year or two. It means working hard over many years to make meaningful improvements. Overall, passion is a very key element of grit, and it comes after discovering your interest.
On page 126 of Grit, Duckworth writes that, “Deliberate practice predicted advancing to further rounds in competition far better than any other kind of preparation.” In terms of grit, ‘deliberate practice’ essentially means actively paying attention to what you’re doing and looking for ways to improve. Deliberate practice requires complete focus and entrapment by the task at hand. Doing intentional practice pushes you to success and greatness. Doing deliberate practice takes perseverance to endure the hard activities that help you get better. People who practice deliberately do it for the rewards afterwards. For most grit paragons, this is a state of calmness and serenity, called ‘flow’. In summary, deliberate practice is an essential part of grit and building a path to success.
Angela Duckworth’s Grit is revolutionary research on success and its cultivation, discussing factors of grit such as perseverance, passion, and practice. Getting up when you are down and staying determined in the face of failure are qualities of gritty people. They have a passion — one that is independent, long-term, and overall — a goal they strive to achieve throughout their career. However, their mindset when it comes to failure and mistakes is not the only things that make a gritty person. They do focused, intentional, deliberate practice, with only improvement in mind. Grit is the common denominator among successful people, and each of its factors serves a different purpose.
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