A girl who is told repeatedly that she's no genius ends up winning an award for being one. The - Angela Duckworth

Of his early attempts at writing, Irving has said, "Most of all, I rewrote everything . . . I began to take my lack of talent seriously.

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,

I learned a lesson I'd never forget. The lesson was that, when you have setbacks and failures, you can't overreact to them.