You know, “The most successful people are those who love what they do” but that’s only half the story. The real magic happens when you fall in love with the daily grind, the hard work itself. It’s not just passion, it’s passion married to perseverance. That’s the secret sauce.
Share Image Quote:Table of Contents
Meaning
This quote dismantles the myth of overnight success. It argues that true, lasting success is a two-part formula: passion for your craft and a genuine love for the hard work required to master it.
Explanation
Look, we’ve all seen it. Someone has a flash of inspiration, a big idea. But that initial excitement fades when the real work begins—the late nights, the tedious revisions, the frustrating failures. Duckworth is saying that the people who break through aren’t just sustained by the distant dream. They find a weird, almost unreasonable joy in the process itself. The struggle becomes part of the reward. It’s not about grinding through the work to get to the love part. The work is the love part. That’s the core of what she calls “Grit.”
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Success (341) |
| Topics | hard work (3), passion (22), success general (86) |
| Literary Style | encouraging (17), straightforward (17) |
| Emotion / Mood | motivating (311), uplifting (157) |
| Overall Quote Score | 79 (243) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. It’s a central thesis of her research, primarily developed from her work in the United States. You sometimes see similar sentiments attributed to others, but this specific phrasing and the extensive psychological research backing it are uniquely Duckworth’s.
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 | The most successful people are those who love what they do, and also love the hard work it takes to get there |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-1501111105; Last edition: Scribner 2016; Number of pages: 352 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 6: Interest, page 122 (2016 Edition) |