Grit (II)

I talked last post about how I thought that Grit would just reinforce some Western stereotypes about pulling-oneself-up-by-the-bootstraps and other pervasive myths (individuals can control their emotional reactions or maybe should not express emotions, corporate/academic success is the only metric by which to define a happy/fulfilling life). Duckworth kind of falls headfirst into the last one and evades the first in a curious way, which make the book a fascinating read indeed.

I think the quote that most encapsulates what I have gotten from this book (so far--I haven't yet finished) is "[Grit] rests on the expectation that our own efforts can improve our future". Which isn't actually reinforcing the act of "pulling-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps". Rather, it reinforces both the belief in being able to change your life for the better, and the feeling of empowerment that one actually can.

Grit says little about actually sucking it up, and more about how, when humans are able to embrace their own empowerment (to feel or believe that they can do something to make their life better), then, and only then can they make the changes they need in order to live more fulfilling (and grittier) lives.

Obviously gritty people do suck it up and keep going after adversity, but that's because they FEEL like they can, and that sense of empowerment is truly revolutionary for some. Grit is less about the action, and more about the feeling. And that's huge.