Grit is even more important than IQ, he says. "I achieved design as somebody's slam I hit against the desk" He was so determined to succeed that every other tough challenge since then faded into insignificant relative acts. But somehow was there something in my genes? Was there something I had learned from my parents seeing them work themselves to the bone?
What does it take to persevere and succeed, not just in our careers but in all aspects of our lives? For psychologist Angela Duckworth, the answer can be summed up in one concept: grit. She explains the ingredients in grit and the experiences that make one person persist where another gives up — and offers concrete steps to instill grit early in life and sustain it.
This is an episode of The TED Interview, a podcast from the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, find it wherever you're listening to this.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices