Book Review: Grit

“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” — Angela Duckworth, Grit

I do not know about you, but for me, all it takes is a simple line in a book to get me hooked. It is nothing much, but I am intrigued by what people, especially authors, have to say, and this time it is Angela Duckworth, the author of Grit, who has shared a strong statement I actually agreed on. She said, and I quote “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.”

Being a psychologist and carrying out her research on high-performing athletes, students, business leaders, and artists, she believes that holding the notion that talent is what it takes to succeed is not true. It requires a whole lot more than just talent. Hence, it is not all about being enthusiastic, but it is about how long you can endure the pain and suffering that comes with achieving success in whatever you are chasing.

This got me to remember what Ed Sheeran, one of the most successful artists in the world, with billions of streams, said during a Graham Norton show that he was not born a talented singer, infact, he played an old recording of his early singing, and that thing was truly awful. The crowd laughed, and he shared that this is why he believes anyone can be a good singer; it only takes a lot of practice.

Another example is Billie Eilish and her brother Phineas when they did a James Corden interview, and they spoke about how they held Malcolm Gladwell's quote from Outlier where he said if you want to be good at something, you have to put in at least 10,000 hours. Hence, the establishment of the 10,000-hour rule. They held on to this while they kept on practicing and practicing until they got the hit they were confident about. To date, they still have that in mind.

Another special feature about this book that could get you to read it is the real-life examples that bring quotes to life. Especially when she uses the military cadet training as another example. She talks about how their training is a series of prolonged suffering with a goal in mind of toughening the soldiers for what lies outside there. The tougher the training, the more special the reward and glorification at the end. This is why you can see videos on TikTok of military personnel coming back home or finishing their training program, and it becomes so emotional for the family and even you who is watching. They know what they have been through.

The enthusiasm comes with a burst of energy where we envision ourselves as successful individuals when that business, goal, or training is achieved. But that is what enthusiasm brings, a burst of emotion until the true taste of endurance comes into the picture. Can you endure the suffering that comes with achieving that goal? Will you remain consistent with the daily grind and the slow progress?

If you say you want to hit the gym and become serious with your health and body. For how long can you take the hard work and training? How many times will you keep going to the gym? And will you be quitting anytime soon?

It is all about endurance more than it is about enthusiasm. Ask yourself how much of the suffering you can endure to achieve that success, and you will know how committed you are to the goal. If you do not take my words for it, at least take Angela Duckworth's word and check how much you can endure rather than how enthusiastic you are.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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Thanks For Reading!

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