Summary

At the beginning of the chapter, Duckworth speaks about the ways in which culture shapes us. She begins the chapter speaking about the Seattle Seahawks and their coach, Pete Carroll, who invited the author to observe his team. The author believes that culture has the ability to shape grit; if one is in a gritty culture, one can become grittier. Gritty leaders can develop a gritty culture. Dan Chambliss, a sociologist who studies swimmers, says that the best way to become a better swimmer is to join a great team because of the reciprocal effect the team can have on individual swimmers. Culture can shape our identity, and people often make choices based on not on a logical cost-benefit analysis but because of the way their culture helps shape their identity.

Next, Duckworth provides several examples of cultures...