Angela Duckworth, Associate Professor of Psychology at Penn, not only studies grit, she epitomizes it. She has doggedly researched the concept for a decade. Despite what may appear to be over the top determination, even obsessiveness, those with the quality are unusually down-to-earth. They're that rare breed who has their head in the clouds but their feet on the ground, which, surprisingly, means that Spartan Race co-founder Joe Desena may not be so crazy after all.

Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com

Lessons:
1. Sustaining passion and endurance over time (years) is essentially the definition of grit.
2. People who are gritty have a cognitive mindset to focus on things that they can change. They are positive and optimistic.
3. Always remember that no great human achievement exists that doesn't have thousands of hours of work behind it.

Panel Notes:
Joe Desena: Do you know what grit is? Do you have it? Have you ever quit anything and regretted it? Well, Angela has been studying grit for a long time and knows how important it is as a predictor of success. If you don't have it, get some.

Col. Nye: Grit is sustained passion over a length of time for a singular long term goal. There is an environmental component. It’s not just genetics. It can be developed. Gritty people have a cognitive mindset to focus on what they can change and screen out that which they cannot.

Sefra Alexandra: In 1777, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode through the night on horseback to alert American Colonial forces of the British’s approach completing a similar feat as Paul Revere’s, yet covering twice the distance Revere travelled by herself without getting captured. This, by any standard, personifies grit. Professor Duckworth will explain why.