If one man conquer in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.
Key insights
- Psychologist Angela Duckworth and colleagues described grit as perseverance and passion for long-term goals.
- Later research urges caution. A large review of grit studies found that grit overlaps strongly with conscientiousness, and predicts performance only modestly.
- Grit asks: how can I keep going? Ego asks: how will this make me look? The first adapts. The second defends.
- Healthy perseverance includes knowing when to rest, when to ask for help, and when to change direction.
Try this
Grit or ego?
Think of something you are persisting with. Ask yourself honestly: am I continuing because it matters to me, or because stopping would feel like losing face? Write one sentence in reply.
Reflection
Where in your life would letting go take more courage than holding on?
References
- Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.
- Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511.