Chapters 5-6 Summary

Like other personality traits related to success, grit is genetically influenced, Duckworth says. However, experience and environment play significant roles. Even characteristics historically thought to be fixed are altered by environmental factors. This phenomenon is known as the Flynn Effect after New Zealand social scientist Jim Flynn, who studied gains in IQ scores over a century.

Age is one factor affecting the growth of grit. Older adults tend to be grittier than young adults. While this increase could be due to generational differences, Duckworth proposes that people likely get grittier as they mature. Either theory supports the notion that grit is not fixed and that people can increase their grit.

Duckworth identifies four “psychological assets that mature paragons of grit have in common.” They develop in order: interest, practice, purpose and hope. Each can be developed “from the inside out.”

Chapter 6 begins the book’s Part 2, “Growing Grit from the Inside Out.” Duckworth says that the encouragement to “follow your passion” may not be bad advice, but it is a complex process involving discovery, development and deepening of interest. Passion alone is not enough to ensure success, but it motivates people to persevere. Furthermore, Duckworth says, it might take time to find one’s passion.

Chapters 5-6 Analysis

If grit were a purely genetic trait, people might abandon any attempt to change. Intelligence is commonly assumed to be hereditary and fixed, yet the Flynn Effect provides evidence to the contrary. The implication is clear: just as intelligence can be altered through social and cultural factors, grit can be as well.

In Chapter 5, Duckworth identifies four “psychological assets” of gritty people. These include interest, practice, purpose and hope, all of which are “developable,” leading into the four corresponding chapters of Part 2, Growing Grit from the Inside Out. Data on grit across age levels bolster the claim that “grit is more plastic than you might think.”

At the end of Chapter 5, Duckworth speaks directly to the reader, acknowledging that some readers don’t need her “meddling” to tell them how to be gritty. She then encourages those who are less gritty than they want to be. They can become grittier, and the author will explain how to do it. At this point in the book, Duckworth has built credibility with readers by assuming the role of “friendly expert.” Her reference to “meddling psychologists” suggests she does not have an inflated sense of her own importance. However, she proves to be an expert who asks good questions, pursues the answers, and explains ideas clearly, all while respecting the reader. Next, she will show readers how to be one of those who succeed.

Chapter 6 exposes several fallacies about interest, and high-profile examples support these claims. Interest falls in the “early years” of the progression toward other-centered purpose. Chapter 7 focuses on “the middle years” of self-disciplined practice. Chapter 8 is the “later years” as “‘the larger purpose and meaning’ of work… becomes apparent.” At the end of Chapter 6, Duckworth shows the reader how to discover an interest, the first psychological asset of a gritty person.