University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth wrote the best-selling book Grit about the power of passion and persistence in predicting success (her TED talk on grit has over 18 million views), but to her credit, she admits to being nearsighted in her new book Situated,which I’m reading now.
MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Duckworth asserts in Situated that your environment – workspace, geographic location, mentors, friends, and even the culture you immerse yourself in— counts as much as (or more than) grit in determining success, and she offers many compelling studies to support her point.
According to Duckworth, instead of focusing on sheer willpower, you should situate yourself among people and in places that make your goals easier and temptations harder.
The book is a good read, and its thesis is worth serious contemplation when deciding where to go to medical school, train, and start your career.
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