What is Genius? Part IV - Grit
Thomas Edison once said "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." He is best known for the invention of the electric lightbulb, and had more than a thousand patents under his belt. Edison wanted to convey that hard work and perseverance, more than anything, are needed for greatness. These days I think of "perspiration" as grit. Angela Duckworth, a best selling author and speaker, defines grit as passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement. It is not just hard work, but toiling relentlessly on a passion you stay loyal to despite ups and downs. Especially the downs. It was generally believed that grit is somewhat genetic, but we now know it is mostly an acquired trait. Just like IQ tests, Duckworth created a grit scale , which computes a subject's passion and perseverance ratings before yielding a final grit score. It is often easy to overlook the role of passion in shaping grit. Passion is what