Benjamin Bloom was an influential educational psychologist who remains best known for his theory of learning goals (“Bloom’s Taxonomy”). However, Duckworth cites Bloom’s analysis of high achievers (from the book Developing Talent in Young People) as part of her theory of how people develop grit over the course of their lives. She argues that people develop their interests during what Bloom calls “the early years,” build their skills through practice during what Bloom calls “the middle years,” and find a sense of purpose in their work during what Bloom calls “the later years.”
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Benjamin Bloom Character Timeline in Grit
The timeline below shows where the character Benjamin Bloom appears in Grit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6: Interest
...out new interests, before they can hope to pursue serious goals and become experts. Psychologist Benjamin Bloom says that skills develop in three periods. In “the early years,” people require supportive mentors...
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Chapter 8: Purpose
...childhood cancer patient Alex Scott, who raised millions of dollars for cancer research. But, as Benjamin Bloom pointed out, most people start with their interests in their “early years,” practice and improve...
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Chapter 10: Parenting for Grit
...the same kind of people as the adults around them. When he studied successful performers, Benjamin Bloom found that most had wise parents who modeled a strong work ethic and passed on...
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