as much as talent counts, effort counts twice. - Angela Duckworth

the most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is, in a sense, ordinary.

Indeed, the calculated costs and benefits of passion and perseverance don't always add up, at least in the short run. It's often more "sensible" to give up and move on. It can be years or more before grit's dividends pay off.

These stories of grit are one kind of data, and they complement the more systematic, quantitative studies I've done in places like West Point and the National Spelling Bee. Together, the research reveals the psychological assets that mature paragons of grit have in common. There are four. They counter each of the buzz-killers listed above, and they tend to develop, over the years,