Dr. Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance

869 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effect of divorce on family life

In May of this year, Dr. Angela Duckworth, a veteran psychologist with degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and the University of Pennsylvania, released her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Duckworth won a MacArthur Fellowship for what she dedicated her career to, and this is seen in the book. She bravely tackled a concept that so many psychologists couldn't, quantifying how much "grit" a person has. Over many years and many experiments, she confidently revealed to the field of psychology that the likeliness of success for a person is directly correlated to how much "grit" they possess. She observed this in all scenarios possible, from "Beast Barracks" at the United States Military Academy, to competitive sales jobs in New …show more content…

I went to a Catholic grade school and was taught to trust in God for guidance. I would ask myself, hoping for an answer, why God would allow for the situation I was in. Why couldn't I have the ideal family life? It concerned me, especially because I was told by priests how awful divorce was and how it was a great sin. Was I really suppose to think that my parents were sinners because they weren't right for each other? This experience made me dislike parts of the faith that I was told to love. Never God, but the people seemed tainted by preaching a "holier than though" message to children in grade school. I became confident that my parents had made a proper decision as I became older, it would have been unhealthy to stay in a toxic environment and even a bit selfish. Putting a child through divorce is a bad experience, but I still remember being a preschooler and my parents arguing in our kitchen late at night. I even remember contemplating if there was sow thing I could do to help; I also remember just trying to pretend it wasn't there. Putting child through years of that is worse. Just as lying is worse than being honest, staying together to keep appearances (which some of my friend's parents did) is much worse. No one is happy in that

Show More
Related

  • Intelligence In Carolol Dnuck's 'Brainology' By Carol Dweck

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this article Emily Hanford is taking information from Angela Duckworth’s findings on the research of ‘grit’. Hanford quotes Angela Duckworth definition of ‘grit’ as , “‘sticking with things over the very long term until you master them.’” (qtd. in E. Hanford 1). Hanford also quotes Duckworth’s article to then explain that the, “‘ gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina.’” (qtd. in E. Hanford 1). Hanford is thus explaining that grit is like perseverance; that a person who works hard can achieve as much as a person who has intelligence. By explaining to students that achieving in school is not just intelligence but also grit as well, it can make students realize that if they persevere in their studies they can make achievements just as a person with more

    Read More

  • The Character Analysis Of Matte's True Grit

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are two types of people in this world. There are people like students who work diligently to achieve the highest grade possible, athletes who put in hours and hours of practice so they can make the starting team, young adults who climb the ladder to get to the top of their company, and many others doing whatever it takes to make their dreams and goals become a reality. There are also people in this world who do the bare minimum in order to graduate with a passing grade or to make a paycheck that is possible to live on. They are doing only “just enough” to make it another day. What is the difference between the two? Standardized tests, natural talent, and IQ rankings have been used in the past to determine how successful a person will be, but a new trait has come into play that ultimately determines how much a person achieves during their lifetime. Grit is the most important trait a person

    Read More

  • Summary Of 'The Downside Of Grit' By Alfie Kohn

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    Specialization is a theme that Kohn addresses as he analyzes Angela Duckworth’s studies conducted on grit. Kohn reflects on a commendable argument that life is better when there is variety and exploration as opposed to being one minded. Kohn provides examples of Duckworth’s studies as he quotes her idea that “maybe it’s more fun to try something new, but high levels of achievement require a certain single-mindedness” (par.19) which is questioned by himself. Therefore, time should be spent attempting to improve on a single thing and that is more important than experimentation Kohn describes as Duckworth’s view on the topic (20). Specialization can spill into many aspects and areas of life, not just school. Many go into one specific field because that is what they “specialize” in. In the cooking and baking fields, there are bakers and then there are chefs. Culinary and baking is what I am going to college for, except I am not specializing; but exploring both baking and culinary. Growing up I was interested in cooking and baking and still have both at heart. Specialization is boring and not in everyone’s

    Read More

  • Chris Gardner Grit

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, “The Top 5 Reasons most people fail”, it states, “...we have to take action in order to get somewhere.” Chris Gardner needed to take action for the sake of his family. He went from door to door, and no matter how hard he tried, he was barely scraping by with the funds of his medical machine. There was an opportunity for a job at Dean Witter and Chris Gardner took the opportunity in a heartbeat. He lands a spot amongst the 20 interns competing for a paid position as a stockbroker. Chris Gardner did not know where to start however he put in as much effort he could put in to get there. When an individual takes on a big role, there is that voice in the back of the head saying they can not handle the task ahead of them. This can further lead to the feeling of depleted motivation and irresponsibility. Having the willpower to fight off the voice and conquering the task can determine a person’s grit and can further validate their

    Read More

  • Success in Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld's position that their triple package of traits is essential, but I find Malcolm Gladwell's research to be more persuasive. While Chua and Rubenfeld provide ample evidence, Malcolm Gladwell convinces me that his factors are what determine success. In conclusion, then, as I stated earlier, the factors that determine success are still an ongoing debate. Works Cited Kenyon, April S., and Allegra, J. Lingo.

    Read More

  • Grit And Self Control Essay

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    Success in life is related to the achievement of individual goals, short and long term. Success has historically been related to the measurable cognitive functions such as IQ and talent. However in more modern time’s there has been a shift towards the idea that developmental non-cognitive factors, such as grit and self-control, may have an impact on the level of success that an individual achieves. Non-cognitive factors such as grit and self-control are somewhat related but also distinct from one another, they may have an important connection to levels of success throughout the stages of life from childhood to adulthood.

    Read More

  • What It Takes to Become a Success: Outliers

    1041 Words  | 3 Pages

    If people work hard, focus, and are disciplined, they will succeed in the future. This has become a universal idea taught by parents, teachers, and peers. People have passed down this idea to the younger generations and they chose to live by this moral that makes sense. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell debunks the universal idea that working hard will allow people to play hard and get further in life. Gladwell eliminates the traditional ideas of success by showing that opportunities, family background, and being born at the “right” time are actually what lead to success.

    Read More

  • Summary On Sobonfu Some's The Spirit Of Intimacy

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some states that divorce is a foreign concept in the village. A person who uses freedom of choice often makes terrible decisions. People in the west will break up rather than deal with certain problems. Divorce never suddenly happens, it occurs as problems build up over time and then the unexpected happens. Not only do a divorce affect the parent’s relationship but the family also. Children being raised in homes without both parents can result to resentment towards their parents. Which could lead to the child’s adult years of not knowing how to remain in a relationship, communicate effectively or he might bring the pain and sorrow he once felt towards his parent, into his existing relationship. When bothered by a specific situation, people should not vanish from a problem nor should one not say something. They should deal with the problem when it’s occurring, rather than waiting to address it later. According to Some, if something doesn’t work, change it. A situation stinks, go somewhere else. Unresolved problems do not just disappear because we walk away. They will show up under a different face in our next relationship. In today society, a marriage doesn’t last as long compared to marriages in the past. Marriages are supposed to help us learn how to love unconditionally as though god loves us. If God won’t abandon you, why should you abandon your spouse? You should invariably stay in one accord, and if you feel

    Read More

  • The Impact of Fixed Mindset: A Study on Wes Moore

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “Grit” Angela Duckworth defines grit as “perseverance and passion for very long term goals” Pg 2. The quote defines grit as consistently working hard toward your long-term goal. For instance, if we see high school students, most of them are not interested in school. They are just waiting to drop out of school and live a simple life, on the other hand, there are some students who don’t want to drop out of school because they have grit for their long-term goals. In the same way, from the moment the readers are introduced to the First WES Moore, he has an inner sense of goodness which manifests itself in his grit. He strives for his goals with determination and courage from his mother. Unlike him, the other Wes has an inner sense of instability which leads him to constantly make bad decisions repeatedly and manifests his grit as negative and unable to make well-thought decisions. The First Wes had grit toward his long-term goals. In the book the author Wes Moore explains, how the First Wes Moore changed “As I sat in the other end of the line, listening to my mother talk about ‘Sacrifice’….” pg96.the quote explains that, the mother and grandparents made many sacrifices to put him through school, and make him successful with a bright future. He faced many pure pushers in life in military school because of his good up bring and education he always made the right decisions. As an example, one day Wes and Dalio his friend was hanging out and suddenly a car pulled over and punched him in his face. Wes instead of taking revenge, he thought about his mother sacrifice and ignore the

    Read More

  • Growth Mindset

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    It has been proven that students who have grit are more likely to succeed in academics. One of the studies that Angela Lee Duckworth had done was at West Point Military Academy. Getting into West Point depends on SAT scores, class rank, demonstrated leadership ability, and physical aptitude. it was shown that about 1 in 20 cadets drops during training before their first academic year. One question they had was; how well can grit predict who would stay? In order to get the answer to the question Duckworth had cadets take a short questionnaire in the first two or three days of the summer with other psychological tests West Point gives. It turns out that grit was the best predictor of which cadets would stay through the first difficult summer. It

    Read More

  • My Character Analysis: Spy By Melissa Mccarthy

    2739 Words  | 6 Pages

    I scored a four on the grit scale survey; which showed a high gritty personality. I used to feel I had the skills; needed to overcome obstacles and continue forward towards my goals. I failed two exams, grammar is horrible in essays, and my job is beyond stressful; with that in mind, I no longer feel gritty. Motivation, perseverance, and ambitions are all out of the window.

    Read More

  • The key to Resilience

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    what is Grit? Grit is firmness of character or having an indomitable spirit, in other words grit is believing in ourselves and having hunger to succeed. I believe grit is something real and truly makes a difference in anything you do. In the passage the “Significance of Grit” Angela Duckworth speaks about how some people have a trait that leads them to succeed over others and she calls it grit. Me being a student,I can totally see where she is coming from because you need to have an internal flame that roars inside of you to see what you are actually capable of. I had never really heard of the word grit in the academic world until taking this class, I thought grit and being smart where the same thing but that’s not the case.I believe everyone shares this trait but they show it in different tasks Many times I have been resilient and gritty in an academic environment without even knowing.

    Read More

  • My Catholic Religious Belief System

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since I grew up in the Catholic faith, I understand that not everyone has the same religious beliefs that my religion teaches. The way a person is raised, has an impact on their religious beliefs. Your belief system is the actual set of precepts from which you live your daily life, those that govern your thoughts, words, and actions (Woods, 2006). Since, I had religion classes through out my school years I have been taught to accept other people's religious beliefs. Even my parents have taught me to look at a person's culture and beliefs to gain a better understanding of their point of view. With the understanding of others religious beliefs and cultures it has allowed me to deal with others in a fair and equal manner. Even though I have had some difficult time with others I remember how I was raised and it has helped me through those difficult times.

    Read More

  • The Challenges of Single Parent Families

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    That’s when the church family and your family play important part. Leaving and getting a divorce and from abusive husband it was matter of survive and not living in fear. To have parent that support your move and were will to help you start over is a plus. Static were showing that children from single parent home were more likely to be juvenile or the girls were more likely to become pregnant. I on the other hand was determining to show that did not have to be true for my children. Just because my child did not grown up in a two parent have did not mean that she could not achieve. When I left my husband I made a conscience decide to not let her be a static. I stress to her education if she want to drive that purple Jaguar working minimum wage jobs would get and set disci...

    Read More

  • The Power Of Perseverance

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Angela Duckworth, a psychiatrist and former teacher, reaching success all starts with passion and perseverance. While teaching 7th grade math, Angela noticed that IQ isn’t the key to good grades. She lead an experiment to find out the real reason behind certain people's failure and others success, and came to a

    Read More

More about Dr. Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance

Open Document