Thursday, June 4, 2026 · 9:41 AM
ok dumb question: is grit just always good?
like if i quit, did i fail the character exam
Range gets twitchy about that idea
grit helps when the path fits. it can trap you when the path is wrong
that feels like permission to bail whenever stuff gets annoying tho
nah. Epstein is making a cleaner distinction
pain is one signal. fit information is another
think shoes
new boots hurting on day 1 is normal. your toes going numb every hike is data
Chapter 6 calls this match quality: how well the work fits your abilities and interests
the point is not comfort. it’s fit
so Van Gogh is the example here, right?
yep. public summaries list his long run of false starts: student, art dealer, teacher, bookseller, ministry work
then art clicked late
which sounds romantic now, but probably awful in real time
extremely
Range uses it to show that wandering can be painful and still informative
wait, i thought the whole adult lesson was “pick a lane and stick with it”
that works better when you already chose a good lane
the counterintuitive bit: early commitment can create more waste if the first match is bad
because now you have a sunk cost costume on
exactly. the diploma, the identity, the network, the “i’m this kind of person” story
all of it makes bad fit harder to admit
was there actual evidence, or just Van Gogh lore
Commoncog summarizes economist Ofer Malamud’s study of British education systems
England and Wales pushed narrower specialization earlier. Scotland required broader college sampling first
and the early specialists won?
at first, sort of. they had more job-specific prep
but the Scottish grads caught up and switched out of unrelated career fields less often
🤯wait so sampling saved mistakes later
that’s the claim
broader starts gave people more information about themselves before locking in
how does grit get dragged into this
Epstein looks at Angela Duckworth’s grit work with West Point cadets
grit predicted who finished Beast Barracks better than West Point’s intake score
partly. but most cadets finished Beast anyway
and Epstein asks the messier question: what if some quitting is smart fit detection?
so quitting can be good if it’s based on new evidence
yes. quitting because Tuesday is hard is weak data
quitting after repeated evidence that your strengths and the role clash is different
what about the Army retention thing?
public summaries say bonuses didn’t fix officer retention
the better move was giving officers more choice over branch or post in exchange for longer service
so money didn’t solve a fit problem
right. if the shoe is wrong, a coupon doesn’t fix your toes
practical version: set a checkpoint before you’re emotional
ask: what would make me stay, switch tactics, or leave?
like a pre-written quit rule?
yeah. and include evidence on both sides
progress, energy, skill growth, honest feedback, and whether the work keeps teaching you about fit
so don’t worship grit. don’t worship quitting either
exactly. persist long enough to learn. quit when the learning keeps saying “wrong match”
ok. going to review one stale project without moral drama
perfect. bring data, not shame
later
Read Thu, Jun 4 · 10:01 AM