Passion and perseverance together are greater because one fuels the other in a powerful loop. It’s the secret sauce for long-term success that most people miss. You need both to truly excel.
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Meaning
It’s a simple but profound formula: Passion provides the direction, and perseverance provides the duration. Alone, they’re incomplete. Together, they create something unstoppable.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. Passion without perseverance is just a burst of enthusiasm—it’s that New Year’s resolution that fades by February. It’s a firework. Bright, loud, and gone in an instant.
And perseverance without passion? That’s just grinding. It’s burnout waiting to happen. It’s the person stuck in a job they hate for 30 years, just white-knuckling it until retirement. Miserable.
But when you combine them? That’s the magic. Your passion makes the hard work feel meaningful. It fuels your perseverance on the tough days. And your perseverance—showing up day after day—deepens your passion, your skill, your mastery. It becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. That’s what Duckworth calls grit. It’s not just working hard. It’s working hard on something you care about.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Wisdom (385) |
| Topics | balance (95), passion (22), perseverance (25) |
| Literary Style | direct (414), philosophical (434) |
| Emotion / Mood | lively (108), motivating (311) |
| Overall Quote Score | 81 (258) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. It’s the absolute core thesis of her entire research body. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific phrasing and the scientific backbone behind it are 100% hers, developed through her work in the United States.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr Angela Duckworth (58) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (58) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Angela Duckworth is a University of Pennsylvania psychology professor and MacArthur Fellow whose research focuses on grit, self-control, and achievement. She taught middle school before earning her PhD at Penn and later founded Character Lab to advance the science of character development. Her bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance has shaped thinking in education and performance science. She co-hosts No Stupid Questions on the Freakonomics network. If you’re browsing the Angela Duckworth book list, you’ll find practical, research-backed guidance for cultivating passion and perseverance.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Passion and perseverance together are greater than either alone |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-1501111105; Last edition: Scribner 2016; Number of pages: 352 |
| Where is it? | Introduction, page 11 (2016 Edition) |