Personal Perspective: An Interview with Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth, Psychologist and Educator1/6/2018 By Jeanne Zheng Being Revolutionary![]() Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth is a psychologist, educator, and author who studies the significance of character in education. She holds an A.B. in neurobiology from Harvard College, an M.Sc. in neuroscience from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Duckworth is currently a Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of psychology at UPenn. She was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship in 2013. Her book, entitled Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, was a 2016 New York Times bestseller. She has also founded a summer school for low-income students and founded a nonprofit called the Character Lab dedicated to character development in education. Dr. Duckworth’s TED talk on grit (defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals”) has almost thirteen million views on TED’s website as well as an additional three million on YouTube—for good reason. Dr. Duckworth’s work on the importance of character in education is, simply put, revolutionary. Fostering the growth of traits such as self-control and grit in students results sets them up for success in the long term. Emphasizing character development in education is also important in ridding teachers and students alike of the anachronistic mindset that academic excellence is only based upon natural intellect. Such a belief can be harmful to students as it tricks them into thinking that failure is an inevitable loop: if they fail, they must not be smart—and if they aren’t smart, they must be doomed to fail. The Character Lab encourages an approach that attributes success to hard work and focus, skills that can be developed and honed, rather than to any inherent quality; this equips students with the ability to persevere in the face of adversity, a skill that will prove invaluable not only at school but in any and all avenues they choose to pursue in the future. The Primer interviewed Dr. Duckworth about her work in character development, as well as what we can do to build positive characteristics such as grit and self-control. She mentioned using the “hard thing rule” with her own family, which you’ll read about in a bit. This inspired us here at The Primer to issue a challenge to you, our reader: in honor of the new year, implement the “hard thing rule” with at least one of your New Year's resolutions. Whether it be exercise a few times a week, read a certain number of books a month, or keep up with journaling, try to stick to at least one of your goals for 6 months. Don’t give up in the middle, no matter how difficult it may seem at times! Don’t just wait around—make 2018 your year. Many thanks to the Duckworth team and Dr. Duckworth for making this interview possible! The InterviewWas there anything that inspired your commitment to education (person, event, etc.)? Was it something you knew you wanted to pursue since high school/college? I didn't always know that I wanted to stay in education. It began as an interest in helping other that grew little by little, year by year. It became a positive feedback loop, where the more I did it, the more I enjoyed it, and the more I enjoyed it, the more I wanted to stick with it. I've learned that nuance becomes so much more rewarding than novelty. Are there any habits that the average person/student could incorporate into their daily lives in order to cultivate character (perseverance, passion, self-control etc.)? There are lots! Too many for me to list them all, or even know them all. But I'll say that one of the best strategies to grow character that I know of is what the Duckworth home calls the "hard thing rule." Everyone in my house—my husband, my daughters, me—has to choose something that they're going to work really hard at. No one else can choose that one thing for us. And we can't quit in the middle of it. When we choose—if we choose—to move on to a new hard thing, we have to see out our past commitments first. What I've found is that community is such an important way to cultivate grit. We all need someone who loves us enough to not let us quit on a hard day. What kind of role do you see character development playing in education in the future? Is it more supplementary to academics, or is it as significant? Why? The wonderful thing about character is that it feeds into other things, like achievement in school, so we don't have to choose between them. Helping students build their self-control also helps them get better grades. Students who are more curious are more likely to graduate high school and college. Students who express gratitude to those around them are more likely to persevere through hard times. Why? Because character is good for individuals and good for others. It helps bind us together. Character helps us be good people. Learn more about Dr. Duckworth and her work
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