Grit — perseverance and passion for long-term goals
Angela Duckworth discovered that Grit — perseverance and passion — predicts success better than talent. Learn how to measure and develop your own Grit.
Where does the concept of Grit come from?
Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, asked a simple question: why do some people achieve success while others — equally talented — do not?
Over several years, she studied West Point cadets, spelling bee participants, salespeople, and teachers. The result was surprising: the best predictor of success in each group was Grit — the combination of perseverance and passion for long-term goals — not talent, IQ, or family background.
She described her theory in the widely-read book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2016).
What exactly is Grit?
Grit has two components:
Perseverance of Effort The ability to continue working despite setbacks, difficulties, and weariness. Persevering people don't abandon goals at the first failure.
Consistency of Interest Stable, long-term focus on one passion or direction. People with high consistency rarely change goals and "start over."
The Talent Paradox
Duckworth formulated two simple equations:
Talent × Effort = Skill Skill × Effort = Achievement
Effort appears twice — talent counts only once. This means perseverance doubles its effect compared to talent.
Take the test
Our Grit Scale (12 items, based on Duckworth's Grit-S) measures both perseverance and consistency of interest. Your score will be on a 1–5 scale with population comparison.
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