In this article published in the Boston Globe (8/2/09), scientific research and historical antedotes suggest that habits of mind, like persisting, contibute more to success in life than more easily measured cognitive traits, like IQ. Psychologists have termed the ability to set long-term goals and to persist in the face of obstacles as "grit," which sounds exactly like the first Habit of Mind, Persisting. The article suggests that MCAS and other tests administered by schools don't really measure what's truly important in predicting achievement.
Do you have grit? Try the
Grit Scale, created by researchers at the University of Pennsylvannia.
