Passion is energy. Grit is endurance. And honestly, that’s the secret sauce. Success isn’t about choosing one or the other; it’s about combining that initial spark with the long, hard grind. You need both to truly make it.
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Meaning
It’s a simple but powerful formula: Passion provides the fuel, and grit provides the staying power. One without the other leads to a stalled engine or an empty tank.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. The passionate ones, they burn bright. They have all these ideas, this incredible energy. But when they hit the first real wall? They fizzle out. Then you have the grinders. They can endure anything, but without a real passion for what they’re doing, it’s just… soul-crushing work. They eventually get resentful. The magic happens—and this is what Duckworth nailed—when you find something you’re obsessed with and then you pair that obsession with a stubborn, relentless commitment to getting better at it, day after day after day. The passion makes the perseverance meaningful. The perseverance makes the passion productive.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Success (341) |
| Topics | grit (20), passion (22), success general (86) |
| Literary Style | motivational (245), succinct (151) |
| Emotion / Mood | energetic (79), focused (87) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. It’s a core thesis of her research. You sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific, elegant phrasing is definitively hers, born from her work in the United States studying everyone from West Point cadets to National Spelling Bee champions.
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 is energy. Grit is endurance. Success requires both |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-1501111105; Last edition: Scribner 2016; Number of pages: 352 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 5: Grit Grows, page 105 (2016 Edition) |