Grit is the key to success
| Grit is the key to success | |
|---|---|
| DISPUTED | |
| "Grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, is a better predictor of success than talent or intelligence and should be a central focus of schools." | |
| Domain | Education & Learning |
| Tactic | Statistical & Evidentiary Distortion |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2007 |
| Origin | Research by psychologist Angela Duckworth and colleagues beginning in 2007, popularized by a 2013 TED talk and the 2016 bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on Education & Learning | |
The claim that grit is the key to success became one of the most popular ideas in American education in the 2010s. Psychologist Angela Duckworth found that a measure of "grit" predicted outcomes such as finishing West Point's summer training and advancing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Schools adopted grit as a goal, and some began grading students on it. Later research, including a large meta-analysis, found that grit's effects were modest, that it overlaps heavily with the long-established personality trait of conscientiousness, and that there is little evidence schools can reliably increase it. The status here is Disputed because grit is a real, measurable trait with some predictive value, but the broadest claims made for it go beyond the evidence.
The claim
In its popular form, the claim holds that perseverance matters more than talent, that grit explains why some people succeed where others with equal ability fail, and that teaching grit can close achievement gaps. Duckworth's TED talk, "Grit: The power of passion and perseverance," has been viewed tens of millions of times.
What the evidence shows
- Original findings. Duckworth and colleagues' 2007 paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reported that grit predicted educational attainment, grade point average among Ivy League undergraduates, retention at West Point and spelling bee performance, beyond what IQ predicted.
- Meta-analysis. In 2017, Marcus Credé, Michael Tynan and Peter Harms published a meta-analysis of 88 samples and nearly 67,000 people in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. They found that grit's correlation with performance was modest, that it was very strongly correlated with conscientiousness, and that the perseverance component explained most of its predictive value, while the passion component added little.
- Overstated effect sizes. Credé and colleagues noted that some early claims had been based on misinterpretations of statistics, which made the effects appear larger than they were.
- Teaching grit. There is limited evidence that school programs can increase grit in ways that improve outcomes. Duckworth herself warned against using grit scales for high-stakes assessment of students or schools and said she was concerned about the idea being over-hyped.
- Context matters. Critics have argued that focusing on individual grit can distract from structural factors, such as poverty and school resources, that affect student success.
Why it persists
Grit offers a hopeful, democratic message: success depends on effort, not innate gifts. It is easy to communicate and fits cultural narratives about hard work. A popular book and talk spread it quickly, often faster than the research that tested it.
Lessons for readers
- New labels for psychological traits may overlap with existing, well-studied ones.
- Popular talks can outrun the evidence base.
- Ask about effect sizes, not just whether a relationship exists.
- Be cautious when individual traits are offered as solutions to structural problems.
- Researchers' own caveats are often dropped as ideas spread.
See also
- Growth mindset interventions transform student achievement
- The marshmallow test shows willpower determines life success
- People learn better in their preferred learning style
Sources
- Angela L. Duckworth, Christopher Peterson, Michael D. Matthews and Dennis R. Kelly, "Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 92, no. 6 (2007).
- Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Scribner, 2016).
- Marcus Credé, Michael C. Tynan and Peter D. Harms, "Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 113, no. 3 (2017).