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Anna North writes in the NYT that self-control, curiosity, and “grit” may seem more personal than academic, but at some schools, they’re now part of the regular curriculum. Some researchers say personality could be even more important than intelligence when it comes to students’ success in school. “We probably need to start rethinking our emphasis on intelligence,” says Arthur E. Poropat citing research that shows that both conscientiousness and openness are more highly correlated with student performance than intelligence. “This isn’t to say that we should throw intelligence out, but we need to pull back on thinking that this is the only game in town.” The KIPP network of charter schools emphasizes grit along with six other “character strengths,” including self-control and curiosity. “We talk a lot about them as being skills or strengths, not necessarily traits, because it’s not innate," says Leyla Bravo-Willey. “If a child happens to be very gritty but has trouble participating in class, we still want them to develop that part of themselves.”
But the focus on character has encountered criticism. “To begin with, not everything is worth doing, let alone doing for extended periods, and not everyone who works hard is pursuing something worthwhile” says Alfie Kohn. "On closer inspection, the concept of grit turns out to be dubious, as does the evidence cited to support it. Persistence can actually backfire and distract from more important goals." There’s other evidence that grit isn’t always desirable. Gritty people sometimes exhibit what psychologists call “nonproductive persistence”: They try, try again, says Dean MacFarlin though the result may be either unremitting failure or “a costly or inefficient success that could have been easily surpassed by alternative courses of action,”
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Monday January 12 2015, @03:40PM
“Hey Ms. Survivor Bias why are you always such a psycho bitch? Why aren't you intelligent despite being the US president or running global omniscient surveillance or huge supranational companies? Oh well guess we'll just have to redefine what is supposed to matter to become successful because everyone is starting to realize all the old stuff just isn't true.”
The really smart people are scary smart. You need to watch all of this carefully and realize what he's saying when the cozy introduction is over [youtube.com] so that you get your head smashed in (figuratively, not literary). Then watch it again, you likely missed more than one thing. Then watch it again, watch him closely, and think about what you're seeing and hearing.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday January 12 2015, @04:19PM
To be the most successful you have to be a psycho bitch?
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Monday January 12 2015, @04:37PM
Seems that way doesn't it? However nobody is named Ms. Survivor Bias and the US president isn't female so what was I talking about? What or who is it that is being a psycho bitch? Maybe it's the survivor bias [wikipedia.org] itself? What is luck and what isn't really luck or not as much luck? Why are we all running around trying to be better slaves?
Did you watch the video? We need more skull-cracking.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Monday January 12 2015, @04:49PM
And although it might not be needed maybe I should emphasize that I'm responding to TFS and TFA, because maybe it looks like I'm not but I am. I'm partly ridiculing it, partly pointing out its obscenity, and partly making fun of how deficient and deceitful and even unimportant it is. Which in turn is why I linked to a video smashing such puerile illusions that we all get stuck in all too easily. Maybe it can make a small difference, maybe someone less prone to the flaws all sides display in TFA will see it and be better off because of it, heed the warning, that sort of thing.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))