How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

“But as the day progressed, I realized that what was going on in room 140 was in fact quite unusual, in ways both self-evident and subtle. To begin with, the students were remarkably calm and orderly. There were no tears that day, no meltdowns, no tantrums, no fights.”

Tough highlights the unexpected calm and order of a classroom, which contrasts sharply with the typical chaos associated with young learners. The phrase “But as the day progressed” marks a pivotal shift from anticipated disorder to surprising tranquility, inviting speculation about the reasons behind this deviation from the norm. This narrative choice suggests less visible factors at play, aligning with the book’s exploration of noncognitive factors in children’s success. The juxtaposition of expected disruptive behavior against the observed peacefulness introduces a subtle tension, hinting at effective educational philosophies and methodologies that foster such an environment.

“There is something undeniably compelling about the cognitive hypothesis. The world it describes is so neat, so reassuringly linear, such a clear case of inputs here leading to outputs there.”

Tough critiques the cognitive hypothesis, which is appealing because it portrays a nuance-free relationship between educational efforts and outcomes. The terms “undeniably compelling” and “reassuringly linear” make it clear that this comforting but oversimplified view of how success is achieved is a reductionist approach that should be viewed with skepticism. Tough implies that this model, while attractive for its clarity, fails to capture the complexities of human development. This passage serves as a prelude to the book's argument that character traits like grit and resilience are crucial, yet underappreciated, components of children’s success.