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The deadly, gilded sins of grit
How we value hard work and ignore privilege.
Nobody wants to tell you the truth about success. Sure, hard work matters. So does commitment. And focus. And perseverance in the face of failure. And blah, blah, blah. But you know what helps the most? A fountain of cash. If you don’t have that, you’ll have to borrow it.
Sometimes at very high interest rates.
You see, the real secret to success is how long you can accumulate debt. And how well you can manage it.
The average TED Talk ignores this bleak reality. Entrepreneurs and character coaches create smokescreens with words like grit. They know how easy it is to inspire people by telling them to practice harder, or wake up earlier. As if life were that simple, or fair.
Coined by educational theorists about a decade ago, grit refers to the idea of commitment to a single goal for long periods of time. It means navigating setbacks and failure.
People with grit don’t give up easily.
To some folks, this trait matters more than talent and intelligence. Although grit started in education, that and other buzzwords have leaked out into pop culture. You see them at airport bookstores now.
