To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other… that’s the core of real resilience. It’s not about a single heroic moment, but the quiet, relentless forward motion when everything in you wants to quit. This is the secret sauce for long-term success that most people overlook.
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Meaning
At its heart, this quote means that grit is the raw, unglamorous engine of perseverance. It’s the decision to simply keep going when progress feels painfully slow and the obstacles seem insurmountable.
Explanation
Look, we all love the idea of a breakthrough. The flash of genius. The overnight success. But that’s a myth. What I’ve seen, time and again with successful people, is that their secret isn’t talent—it’s this. It’s the compounding effect of small, consistent actions. When the path gets steep—when a project is failing, when you’re getting rejected, when you’re just bone-tired—grit is what whispers, “Just one more step.” And then you take it. And that one step is everything. It’s the difference between giving up and breaking through.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Life (320) |
| Topics | grit (20), perseverance (25), strength (36) |
| Literary Style | metaphoric (105), succinct (151) |
| Emotion / Mood | motivating (311), resolute (28) |
| Overall Quote Score | 84 (319) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. It’s a cornerstone of her research, born from her work in the United States studying everyone from West Point cadets to National Spelling Bee champions. You sometimes see similar sentiments misattributed to other motivational figures, but this phrasing and the underlying science 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 | To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other when the path gets steep |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-1501111105; Last edition: Scribner 2016; Number of pages: 352 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 7: Practice, page 136 (2016 Edition) |