On Grit
Somewhere along the way, most of us bought into the notion that ability is central to success. You know what I mean, “he’s a natural musician,” or “she was born an athlete.”
More recently, that assumption has been challenged on numerous grounds. Far more important than ability, it turns out, is hard work. Practice, as they say, makes perfect, and practice means lots and lots of hard work.
But it’s not just hard work in general, either. That is, it’s not just doing the same thing over and over but doggedly working to get better, surmounting setbacks that come our way, persevering when the road forward is neither obvious nor easy.
The word often used to describe this kind of dogged determinim in the face of adversity is “grit.” Recent research suggests that it is one of the most important factors in predicting someone’s success. In his influential and very helpful book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
All of which means that parents who want to raise successful children need to make sure those children struggle. They can support them in addressing challenges, but not remove them. They can encourage their children to persevere, but shouldn’t rescue them. They can listen to them discuss their problems, but not solve them for them.
And that can be hard, hard, hard to do. Most of us, having had our own share of character-building challenges, tend to overlook the grit it engendered in us and instead remember only the uncomfortableness or pain we experienced, and so we want, sometimes desperately, always understandably, to spare our children similar experiences. But in doing so we often shortchange our kids unintentionally. We rob them, that is, of the opportunity to develop grit through perseverance and in this way develop character.
One of the scientists Tough regularly draws on in his work is the math-teacher-turned-psychologist Angela Duckworth. Duckworth, the recipient of the one of the 2013 MacArthur Foundation “genius” grants, discovered in her graduate school research that hard work and determination were far better predictors of academic success than IQ, and that there are no short-cuts to developing those traits. Since then, she has been particularly interested in creating learning environments – schools, homes, and other organizations – where everyone, and particularly the disadvantaged, are invited to live not just up to but also beyond the potential they and others believed them to have. And the only way children can do that is to struggle, to learn to work hard, to stay with something challenging until they have mastered it.
Christians know something of this, although when it comes to parenting we often forget it. Consider the Apostle Paul’s provocative and revealing statement in his letter to his most difficulty congregation, the folks gathered in Christ’s name in Corinth:
Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:7b-10).
This is grit. And among other things Angela Duckworth has accomplished, one of the more interesting is that she has come up with a way of measuring grit, not in order to set an absolute limit on a trait that she believes can be learned and stretched, but rather to offer a way to assess where one currently is toward the goal of developing greater self-discipline. If interested, you can find her – and take – her Grit Scale here (registration is required, but is free).
In the following video, Dr. Duckworth shares some of the intellectual trek she has made and names the heart of her work. As you listen, think about how you can support the young people in your life to cultivate habits of self-discipline, hard work, and grit. And maybe even considering developing it in yourself!
Notes: 1) If you are receiving this post by email, you may need to click here to watch the video.
2) My thanks to Maria Popova and Brainpickings, where I came across this video.
With 6 kids, we noted this tendency years ago. For those to whom good grades came easily, working hard in college came as unpleasant surprise. And self-control? Had one who didn’t have much; life has not gone so smoothly for him, because of early poor choices and no follow-through.
Having lots of kids is like your own science project, I guess.
One group of people who have grit are those with dyslexia. October is Dyslexia Awareness month and a great movie, “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia” produced by James Redford, will be shown in various cities and on HBO Sat. Oct. 12. Check this link for more information: http://thebigpicturemovie.com/
It is an informational and inspiring movie about those who have learned how to turn a potential disability into a learning ability.
Thanks, Debra. I’ll check out the link. Malcolm Gladwell also looks at dyslexia from this point of view in his new book, David & Goliath.
As a parent (with both daughters now grown and pretty darn amazing!)I completely resonate with the desire to protect our children from the struggle. As a pastor I see a parallel relationship with leaders and congregations. There is an impulse to protect our people from the realities of what it means to be church in this day and age. The challenges are many and it is sometimes very stressful to see the people I serve struggle, but I believe the rewards (as in parenting)are great and I am already seeing signs of new life!