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No Grit, No Story

Guts. Resilience. Initiative. Tenacity

By Bright OkeyePublished about a year ago 4 min read
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No Grit, No Story
Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

There are numerous human traits but five stands above all. They are: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These traits are collectively called grit. Wikipedia defines grit as a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual's perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal or end-state.

Openness include lack of restrictions, secrecy and frankness. This trait, if not properly utilized, can be a weakness but when it is used properly, it can be a tool for ultra-perception.

"The openness of our hearts and minds can be measured by how wide we draw the circle of what we call family."

Mother Teresa

Extroversion is a warm, positive, gregarious, fun-seeking trait. Opposing introversion, it possesses the tendency to focus on gratification obtained from outside one's self. Extroverts tend to be spontaneous and agreeable.

Conscientiousness is characterized by being careful and diligent. A conscientious person is willing to carry out tasks properly and seriously. This trait is easily the most efficient of the five big traits, and hen correctly used, can be the ray of light against all negative emotions as well as neuroticism.

Agreeableness involves the willingness to put the needs of others before self. Agreeable people find pleasure in being of service to others. This empathic trait makes them loveable by people around them, not excluding exploiters.

Neuroticism is the opposing force of the big five traits that makes up grit. It is characterized by anger, anxiety, self‐consciousness, irritability, emotional instability, and depression. This trait acts as a balance to the other four lighter traits. It is a compelling and if left unchecked, can engulf all others. When this happens, Grit runs out.

Neuroticism and Negativity

By Christopher Ott on Unsplash

The generation we find ourselves in is one filled with weak people. Everything is sensitive and most times the truth is the enemy. In this ecosystem, neuroticism thrives. Depression, anxiety, anger and other negative emotions are fast gaining traction in the world. The prevalence of this trait is largely fueled by the individualistic lifestyle and boundaries set up by people globally.

When this trait begins to overshadow an individual, the willpower to push for success begins to diminish. Numerous negative emotions are created which, if left unattended to, can lead to fatality and irreparable damage.

Combating Negativity

Every great story happened when someone decided not to give up.” –Spryte Loriano.

By Jesper Aggergaard on Unsplash

Life has turbulences and negativity only exists to complement the positives of life. They come to remind us to appreciate the good times. When these turbulences gets overwhelming, the mindset to keep pushing forward is guts. This mindset acts as a catalyst for the positive traits to stand firm in the face of negativity. It is a stubborn refusal of defeat.

Aside from being a collection of the five big character traits, grit is also acronymous to guts, resilience, initiative, tenacity.

Gutsy

Being gutsy refers to showing courage, determination, and spirit in dealing with difficulties. It is the willpower of grit, that constant voice that tells you to keep up the fight. When push comes to shove, guts will prevail

Resilience

This is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. A lot of times, when things go wrong and it feels like all is about to crumble even after several attempts at fighting, it takes resilience to fight off the urge of defeatism and failure. It is a mindset that is based on the belief of life and hope. A resilient person believes that 'He that is down needs fear no fall', and this is a weapon in the face of negativity

Initiative

By Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Resilience alone may not suffice in the face of defeat, a combination of initiative produces great success. Initiative requires critical thinking and the ability to assess the situation in order to obtain proper solutions. This trait requires a calm head and a learner's heart.

Tenacity

Tenacity acts as a finishing touch. This is the a quality of being able to grip firmly to the ideas created by the application of initiative and resilience. It also catalyzes guts and increases the zeal to go on n the face of trials and defeat.

Conclusive Reflection

Destiny is like drawing a line without an eraser; trials, mistakes and all other negativity that life throws at us are the errors we make in drawing that line. When life's challenges arise will your grit run out?

Thanks to everyone for the support and love. Forgive the typos and leave a honest comment, criticisms are highly welcome.

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About the Creator

Bright Okeye

An introspective thinker delving into the ever-expanding space of articles to quell his insatiable appetite for insight

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Comments (1)

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  • Himangshu Sharma8 months ago

    Well thought out article Bright. Particularly the video about conscientiousness is mind blowing !

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