The ironic study
There is a genius study that shows the ironic mental obstacle that prevents people from becoming great. She shows a random selection of participants two recordings that are secretly the same exact recording, played twice. The first time, she says the recording is either naturally talented, or else he is a somewhat poor talent who has worked hard. Then she plays the same recording again and switches her explanation. In most cases, people prefer the recording they are told was naturally talented, even though the difference is purely imagined.
Protecting one's self from hard work
Duckworth proves through research that if one is asked which is more important, hard work or natural ability, they know the right answer is hard work, but if one is asked why they aren't successful, they say they lack natural ability. The irony is that people seem to be oriented to protect themselves from hard work, as if something could be gained through comfort. She opines that perhaps it is just general fear that keeps people from success.
Goal setting as a secret key
Duckworth maintains that the secret to improvement is to set one's mind on a fixed goal and to attain that goal through time. Instead of saying, "I'm going to write a revolutionary album," she suggests setting minor goals that are smaller. To write a single line that one is proud of, or to attain technical mastery at an instrument by setting a metronome—these are the kinds of goals that truly lead to satisfaction and improvement.
Habit as the true genius
Although the starving artist believes genius is something that they possess inherently, Duckworth challenges that point of view by suggesting that perhaps genius is actually the ability to persevere in one's efforts despite not wanting to. The idea that true art comes from some feeling or desire, partnered with 'genius,' is a myth, she says, and a myth that is contradictory to success. By harnessing a person's natural instincts for habit, they can attain more than they can by depending on inherent skills.
Achievement and praise
The irony of achievement is that regardless of how much hard work it took an artist to succeed, no matter how much they say it was hard work alone and persistence that led them to their success, Duckworth observes that people will still praise an artist for their achievements as if it was natural talent and genius that led to their success. It is important for hopeful artists to understand this irony, because this ironic point of view might limit their success.
