Grit

I have become increasingly convinced that obsessiveness is more important to success than IQ. I know many brilliant people who don't get much done, and less smart people who get a great deal done. The difference really does seem to be obsessiveness. Anyways there is a great article in the boston globe on the subject.

This explains many things: How can low IQ Austic people master such difficult skills? Why are adopted children closer to their adoptive parents in most measures of success(say college graduation), when they are closer to their birth parents in both IQ and personality? Why did I barely understand anything in Algebra or Geometry but go on to get an A in calculus and get a perfect score on the GRE math section? Whenever I have decided I am smart I inevitably go into decline. I can keep up with almost anyone but only if I am working as hard or harder than them.