Change Situations, Not Just Willpower

Why are young people today reporting the highest levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and despair in modern history?

Dr. Angela Duckworth is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the world’s leading voices on grit, self-control, and the science of thriving. In this conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais, Angela reflects on how her thinking about grit has evolved, where it’s often misunderstood, and why perseverance without purpose can become harmful instead of helpful.

They explore what excellence really looks like behind the scenes. Not the highlight reel, but the long stretch of deliberate practice and repeated effort that most people never see. Angela also reframes passion as something that develops over time, and offers a practical lens for staying committed when enthusiasm fades and outcomes take longer than expected.

The conversation expands beyond performance into family life and parenting. They examine the cultural forces shaping today’s youth: the rise of social media, the erosion of in-person connection, the displacement of nature, and the unintended consequences of modern parenting. Angela shares what the data actually shows about the mental health crisis, and what we as parents, educators, and leaders can do about it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What grit really is, and what it isn’t 
• Why excellence comes from high-quality practice over time
• How passion develops slowly, and why it can be treated like a skill
• How to stay committed when motivation fades
• Why environments shape kids more than pressure does
• Why young people’s happiness has sharply declined since 2010
• What the research says about anxiety, depression, and loneliness in Gen Z
• How screens and social disconnection may be reshaping well-being
• Practical ways parents can create environments where kids can truly thrive

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David Blanchflower Article: Blanchflower DG, Bryson A, Xu X (2025) “The declining mental health of the young and the global disappearance of the unhappiness hump shape in age.” https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327858

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