Books
Grit Review: Angela Duckworth on Passion, Perseverance, and Whether Grit Really Predicts Success
- Brand:
- Angela Duckworth
- Ages:
- 13+ years
- Updated:
- 2026-07-13
The verdict
Grit is a genuinely research-grounded and engaging read, but the concept's predictive power turned out to be more modest than the book's framing suggests — read it for the mindset value, not as a settled scientific formula for success.
Pros
- Backed by the author's own peer-reviewed psychology research, not just personal opinion or anecdote
- A genuinely useful reframe on the role of sustained effort over raw, innate talent
- Well-structured with practical angles for parents, coaches, and educators, not just individual readers
- Engaging, varied case studies spanning spelling-bee kids, West Point cadets, and elite athletes
Cons
- Later meta-analyses found grit correlates only moderately with performance and overlaps heavily with the existing Big Five trait 'conscientiousness'
- Critics argue the 'passion and perseverance' framing can slide into blaming individuals for structural disadvantages like poverty or under-resourced schools
- Some researchers describe the core logic as partly circular — attributing success to grit, then citing that success as evidence of grit
- Can feel repetitive once the core thesis is established in the first few chapters
Angela Duckworth's Grit expands on her own MacArthur-recognized psychology research to argue that grit — a combination of sustained passion and perseverance toward long-term goals — predicts achievement better than raw talent or IQ.
The genuine research behind it
Unlike a lot of business/self-help books, Grit is built on the author's own original studies across domains like West Point retention, spelling bee performance, and sales roles. That grounding gives it more credibility than most books in the genre, and the writing translates the research clearly for a general audience.
What later research found
Since publication, larger meta-analyses (notably by Marcus Credé and colleagues, covering tens of thousands of participants) found grit's correlation with performance is more modest than initially suggested, and that it overlaps substantially with the long-established personality trait conscientiousness — raising real questions about how much new ground the concept covers. Critics have also flagged the risk of the grit narrative shifting blame onto individuals for outcomes shaped by systemic disadvantage.
Best for readers interested in motivation and achievement who want research-backed material rather than pure anecdote, while staying aware that the concept's uniqueness and predictive power are more contested today than the book's confident framing suggests.
Frequently asked
- Is grit scientifically proven to predict success?
- The original research found a link, but later large-scale meta-analyses found the correlation is more modest than initially reported, and that grit overlaps significantly with the established trait of conscientiousness.
- Is Grit just about working hard?
- Not exactly — Duckworth defines grit as a combination of sustained passion for long-term goals plus perseverance through setbacks, not just generic hard work or effort.
- Does the book ignore systemic disadvantages?
- This is a genuine criticism raised by reviewers — some argue the grit narrative can understate how much poverty, under-resourced schools, and other structural factors shape outcomes, independent of individual perseverance.
- Is Grit worth reading?
- Yes, for readers interested in motivation and achievement research, especially given it's grounded in the author's own studies. Go in aware that later research has softened some of its strongest claims.
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