The Importance of Grit over Talent

Duckworth's main point is that talent is overrated and that grit, which refers to passion and perseverance, explains success. While many traditional means of assessing candidates for schools or jobs use metrics such as SAT scores or physical prowess, Duckworth finds that these types of predictions do not really work. Instead, in several fields, including business, the arts, and academics, she finds that what really predicts people's success is the ability to persevere in the face of failure while remaining truly interested in the process. She refers to people's ability to keep going in the face of failure as "grit," and she believes that it explains success far more predictably than any measure of raw talent.

Duckworth uses a series of examples to prove her point. She starts with the very vivid example of West Point cadets slogging their way through early-morning hikes...