I heard a recent TED talk about grit being the key to success.   The speaker defined it as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.  Talent is no substitute for dogged determination when undertaking something as ambitious as changing the world.  A person with grit is prepared to fail over and over again to get to the place they are trying to arrive at.

“Aren’t you afraid of burn-out?” asks a well-meaning friend, after I described the many facets of the work ahead of me.   I am not afraid of burn-out, I think, letting the wall in front of me go out of focus.

“Isn’t the fact that you haven’t been able to recruit anybody passionate about what you are doing depressing to you?  I mean, people should realize by now that your theory works.  You’ve shown the great potential of the program over and over, I mean, shouldn’t you have at least one trustworthy ally by now?  Isn’t this depressing to you?”  I am asked.   No more depressing than the fact that I am asking this myself, the well-meaning friend long gone from the phone.

In America we have the myth of the Rugged Individual.   This person has grit, true grit. This person is tough, with endless inner resources, prepared to do whatever it takes to succeed, undeterred about the necessity of doing huge things alone.  This person will kill you, if it comes to that.

“Would you kill for this idea of yours?” asks an abstract, distracted, watch checker.

“Only you, baby,” I think, out of the box.

The idea is to become like the psychopaths who prevail at any cost, only without forgetting that I am here to be part of a supportive community, not a rugged individual.  That I am here to model patience, and humor, and the optimism necessary for all learning.

“Well,” says the skeleton of the DU from his grave on top of the hill, “it’s no wonder you struggle with this.   I had no role models for showing love, and you had none for showing grit.  As I apologized for– I put great obstacles in front of you and your sister.  Instead of nurturing either of you I was busy competing with you, trying to crush you in a senseless war of survival I had no insight into.   I did apologize for that, didn’t I?”

You did, old man, and it was good of you.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do.