Angela Duckworth

Researcher associated with the study of grit, surfaced in Kyle’s wiki through a note he left while reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. Against Clear’s argument that “disciplined” people simply structure their lives to require less heroic willpower — spending less time in tempting situations rather than out-muscling temptation — Kyle flagged a tension worth following up: “Connect to the ideas from Duckworth on Grit; is this true for children? Should we avoid putting them in situations where they even have to avoid marshmallows?” The reference frames Duckworth’s work on perseverance against the environment-design thesis of Atomic Habits.

Context: Angela Duckworth is a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, known for her research on grit — the combination of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals — and for her 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Where this appears

• Atomic Habits — cited in Kyle’s marginal note questioning how grit relates to Clear’s claim that self-control is better served by shaping environment than by summoning willpower.