Do You Have True Grit?

featured, inspiration, psychology
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Grit Personality

Do You Have True Grit?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

‘Grit’ is a term I somewhat fell in love with months ago after watching a Ted Talk by Angela Lee Duckworth entitled, The Key to Success? Grit. At just over six minutes long, this is definitely worth a watch if you haven’t done so already. (Video below.)

Ah, and not to mention the recent remake of the movie True Grit, obviously may have played a part as well.

Grit Personality

So, what is Grit, exactly?

HELLO WIKIPEDIA

Grit personality trait:  in psychology is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal or endstate coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual’s path.

Earlier, I was watching another Design Talk video while working on other things, in preparation for my upcoming speech at my old college tomorrow night: Jonah Lehrer: The Origins of Creative Insight & Why You Need Grit. He opened with a story about Bob Dylan so I knew it’d be good. In it, he mentions a ‘grit test’ – so naturally being the nerd that I am, I was interested. And go figure, it was developed by Angela Lee Duckworth. Found it online: “The Grit Survey. I ranked 4 out of 5; not bad.

In an article by David Churchill of express.co.uk, he discussed a recent study done by the University of North Carolina. In this study, volunteers were given a series of mentally challenging tests to monitor the persistence and determination when facing roadblocks; difficult tests.

Researchers concluded: “Grit, a recently proposed personality trait associated with persistence for long-range goals, predicts success in part by promoting self-control, thus allowing people to persist in repetitive, tedious, or frustrating behaviours that are necessary for success.”

Then on psychcentral.com, I found a list of qualities that people with true grit are known to display:

  • A clear goal
  • Determination despite others’ doubts
  • Self-confidence about figuring it out
  • Humility about knowing it doesn’t come easy
  • Persistence despite fear
  • Patience for the small stuff that obscures the path
  • A code of ethics they live by
  • Flexibility in the face of roadblocks
  • A capacity for human connection and collaboration
  • A recognition that accepting help does not equate to weakness
  • A focus and appreciation of each step in the journey
  • An appreciation of other people’s grit
  • A loyalty that never sacrifices connections along the way
  • An inner strength that brings them to their goal

I love it.

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[ted id=1733]
angela lee duckworth, design talk video, determination, grit, grit survey, key to success, motivation, personality trait, true grit

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