http://www.npr.org/2016/04/04/472162167/the-power-and-problem-of-grit
Interesting article. Share your thoughts? Are you children like this? Do or did they have problems by being one or they actually benefit from this trait? I believe my daughter is one of them and I do see the “power and problem” sometimes.
I disagree with her definition of grit. "trait she calls grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-terms goals. "
I define grit as the ability to put up with crap and misery to accomplish a worthwhile goal.
I also disagree with this: “Angela believes grit is made up of four key psychological assets: interest, practice, purpose, and hope.”
I believe grit is stubbornness + tenacity + grim determination.
Her version is a lot more flowery butterflyish than mine. There’s also a magic intersection where grit meets a pointless pursuit, where quitting makes a lot more sense.
The ability to perceive that intersection and/or recognize if there is one probably leads to more success than grit alone.
I second MotherOfDragons! The article’s definition of grit was too touchy-feely. My children are all gritty–they are willing to sacrifice quite a lot to achieve a goal. I really haven’t seen them cling foolishly to impossible or foolish goals, in part because they tend to select goals for which they have a realistic hope–hope being one of the components of grit the author identifies.
The only problem they have with being gritty is they do tackle things others might consider to be too much work or labor-intensive. Or else they engage in pursuits in a far more intense way than others do. Then when they succeed–not through greater talent but through sheer blood, sweat and tears–their peers get angry at themselves for not having done the same. These peers recognize they had more natural ability than my kids do, so they are annoyed. The problem is that anger and irritation often gets displaced toward my kids and they are labeled “crazy,” or “obsessed,” or “too ambitious.” My youngest has experienced this recently on her sports team. The coach told her she was “too competitive,” and when the captain writes little encouraging notes before meets, she will select a quote that implies my D is making the goal more important than the journey. D ignores them because she wants to achieve and understands that entails being ambitious and passionate about the pursuit. As for the team captain, she is a very mediocre athlete whom D does not care to emulate.
I don’t think that part about purpose beyond self belongs in the grit definition, and I am doubtful about the hope portion as well. That said, I would say that I am the “grittiest” in my family (among kids, ex, my parents, my sibs). It is double edged, for sure.
@TheGFG, I think gritty people lead by example. I would never ask people who work for me to do some crappy task I wouldn’t do myself, for example.
However you define grit, (I always called it “toughness”) I have a child who has it. Her sheer tenacity, hard work, and clarity in decision-making have taken her much farther than many of her her more naturally talented peers.