"I told [[George Vaillant]] that, if I’d been on the [[Harvard University|Harvard]] research team in 1940, I would have made a suggestion. **I would have allowed the young men to come back the next day, if they wanted, and try the Treadmill Test again.** I suspect that some would have come back to see if they could stay on longer, whereas others would have been content with their first timed effort. Maybe some would ask the researchers whether they knew of any strategies, physical or mental, in order to last longer. And maybe these fellows would even be interested in a third try, and a fourth…. **Then I would create a grit score based on how many times men voluntarily returned to see if they could improve**. "**Staying on the treadmill is one thing, and I do think it’s related to staying true to our commitments even when we’re not comfortable. But getting back on the treadmill the next day, eager to try again, is in my view even more reflective of grit**. Because when you don’t come back the next day—when you permanently turn your back on a commitment—your effort plummets to zero. As a consequence, your skills stop improving, and at the same time, you stop producing anything with whatever skills you have." --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[progressing-slowly]], [[training]], [[adversity]], [[resilience]], [[failure]], [[slowing-down-not-stopping]] **Source** -- [[20241030 - B - Grit]], **See Also** -- [[202405061225 - AtN - Knowing when to quit can be a superpower]]