Is Grit Overrated?

On the surface, people think effort is more important than talent. Employers say they value industriousness more than intelligence in an employee. But deep down, they hold opposite views. Studies show people prefer a "natural" over a "striver". This bias has practical implications. 

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all,” Michelangelo observed. It suggests that grit is essential, but it is not attractive.

When successful people keep their practice hidden, it can be costly to society because it obscures the amount of failure that goes into success. We only see the final products. 

When we experience messy frustration, we are too eager to believe we don’t have what it takes and give up.

Directional consistency, the ability to stick unswervingly to a single, superordinate goal over a period of years is perhaps not the best approach in an economy where career paths can twist or even disappear over a short period.

However, we need some direction to get anywhere. Even if are forced to switch paths, that also requires grit.