Story thread · 10 reports / 4 sources

Angela Duckworth on the importance of getting situated

whyy.org · 11dShare

Americans tend to pride ourselves on being self-reliant, valuing individual effort over asking for help. Psychologist Angela Duckworth learned the limits of that belief when she took her 86-year-old mother snorkeling. Soon after they got into the water, a swift current overwhelmed them, and Angela realized her heroic efforts would not be enough to save her mom from almost drowning. Luckily, there were rescuers close by and the crisis was averted. But for Duckworth, it was a lesson that when we’re helpless, we need to reach out to others. It’s what successful people do. This week I’m talking with Angela Duckworth about her new book, Situated: Find the People and Places that Bring out Your Best. She’s spent her career studying motivation and achievement and wrote the best seller, Grit, but says hard work and willpower are often not enough. We’ll talk about how to create relationships and environments that help us do what we want to do.

First report: Duckworth stuns seed at US Open — smh.com.au, 14d