Summary

At the beginning of the chapter, Duckworth defines what purpose, the third aspect of people with grit, means. Interest can develop in a child's early years, followed by practice. The longest time in the model of psychologist Benjamin Bloom's study of achievement is the development of purpose. In essence, purpose involves the idea that our actions matter to others, not just to ourselves. In Duckworth's "grit lexicon," purpose is defined as "the intention to contribute to the well-being of others" (146).

Duckworth discuses Aristotle's idea that there are two forms of happiness--"eudaemonic," or contributing to others (literally, following one's good spirit), and "hedonic," or following one's desire to have spontaneous, self-centered enjoyment. Duckworth writes that by helping others, humans help themselves, as those who cooperate are more likely to survive. Therefore, humans are driven to be both eudaemonic and hedonic in...