Grit is the combination of passion and sustained perseverance applied to long-term goals. It is the tendency to keep working toward a distant objective despite setbacks, plateaus, and the attraction of alternative paths.

Angela Duckworth and colleagues developed the construct and a scale to measure it. Grit predicts completion of demanding programs—military training, spelling bees, high-school graduation—beyond what is predicted by talent alone. The two facets are consistency of interests (not continually changing goals) and perseverance of effort (working hard and bouncing back from failure). Grit is related to conscientiousness yet distinct in its emphasis on long-horizon stamina rather than everyday orderliness.

Critics note that grit overlaps with existing personality traits and that its incremental predictive power is sometimes modest. Interventions aimed at building grit are still being evaluated. Nonetheless, the concept has drawn useful attention to the role of sustained effort in achievement, especially in contexts where talent is necessary but not sufficient.

Talent starts many races. Grit is what finishes the long ones.