Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Is Ethos present in the talk? If yes, copy and paste the exact part or section from the
transcript and explain why is it indeed Ethos.

Angela Lee Duckworth's TED Talk, "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," is a
lighthearted yet thought-provoking look at the role of passion in success. Duckworth explains
that her book, "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," is an attempt to define a word that
has been used in different ways throughout history. She begins by explaining that there are two
main ways to define the word: 1) as the determination to finish a job and 2) as passion.

We know that in order to finish a job, we must be determined and persistent. We also
know that enthusiasm is associated with passion. So how can we accurately define this word so
we can decide for ourselves if it's something we possess? Duckworth aims to answer this
question by defining three terms: 1) passion (a force or feeling), 2) resilience (your ability to
adjust or adapt based on your circumstances) and 3) opportunity (your ability to recognize when
you have what you need).

"Without passion, resilience is just endurance," she says. But if you have all three of these things,
then you're well on your way to achieving grit. In this talk she presents her research that states
that most people believe that intelligence or talent are what is needed for success. The reason
why her research was conducted was because she believed there was more to success than these
two factors. She even stated that, “We often assume that good students come from good families
and good schools. We assume that naturally talented people have accomplished their feats
without effort. But when we look at the data about how people actually achieve excellence, it
turns out those ideas are wrong.”

Pathos is present in Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk. During her talk she
says, “I’m here for you, but I am not here for you. At least not in the way
that you may think.” Already from the onset of the speech, Duckworth presents
the idea of parents trying to handle their own child’s life and future without
letting their child be an independent person and learn on their own. The fact
that she is talking to parents about how to help their children helps create
this pathos because it seems as if she is talking directly to parents and not
other adults who have children. This speech was effective because it was
stated in a way that most parents can relate to. Every parent has at some
point tried to tell their child they are doing something wrong or that they
could be doing something better even though they are older than them and have
already gone through some things that the parent may never understand. Also,
when Duckworth states, “I’m going to teach you a formula…that lets you predict
with great accuracy just who will succeed and who will fail” this statement is
also very powerful because most parents want their child to succeed in life.

In her TED Talk, Angela Lee Duckworth is trying to get the audience to see
that grit is more than just passion, it is also hard work and perseverance in
the face of obstacles. Her use of pathos in this context is a very effective
way to convey her message of promoting grit in young children and adults
alike. She does this by using personal examples from her own life that reveal
the importance grit has played in her life.

She uses logos to support her arguments. She has facts and statistics to back
up her claims. She presents these first and then gives examples of how her
students were able to achieve all of this. She also gives a lot of statistics
in order to prove that she is correct about her ideas. For example, “80% of
the differences between children at the end of 8th grade can be explained by
differences in their parents’ income” (Duckworth) This shows that there are a
lot of social factors that play a huge role in how well a child will do in
school. She also has a study that states that those with an optimistic outlook
on life do better than others. These are just a few examples of how she uses
logos to back up her arguments and make them more valid.

Logos is present in Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk. In the first paragraph,
she asks a question, “What makes a great teacher?” It is clear that she is not
stating, but rather asking and engaging the audience to start thinking of this
question. This can be identified as Logos because it is an argumentative
speech or message sent from the speaker to the listeners. The second
paragraph, “The easiest way to find out was to do a little experiment,” shows
that the speaker is making her point by backing up what she said with a
statement or example. This can also be identified as Logos because it is an
appeal to authority and it is based on factual evidence. However, some might
argue that there are certain parts where Logos is not present. For example,
when she says: “I had a hunch that talent was not enough,” this statement can
be considered as an Argumentum Ad Hominem (Attack on Opponent) because she
attacks her opponent by questioning his/her talent.

TED Talks have had a large impact on the world, even though most people don’t
realize it. They are a huge part of cultural literacy, and help millions of
people learn about interesting topics. They are also a great platform for
sharing ideas—in fact, TED talks have been watched over one billion times. The
popularity of TED talks has grown so much that they now hold an annual
conference in Long Beach, California that features several speakers each day.
Angela Lee Duckworth’s talk is both relatable and inspiring. It uses
rhetorical elements and nonverbal communication to make it more engaging and
memorable to the audience.

The main rhetorical devices used are ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos is used
as the speaker establishes herself as a credible source by telling us about
her own personal life experiences that led her to studying grit. Pathos is
used as she tells us about the importance of grit in our everyday lives by
relating it to her own life and those around her. Logos is used as she gives
facts and statistics to reinforce all of the previous points she has made in
her speech, making the information more believable and convincing. Rhetoric
elements and nonverbal features are both essential parts of a successful TED
talk. Though there is no specific formula for a TED talk, speakers
consistently use rhetoric elements such as ethos, pathos and logos to
effectively convey their ideas. Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist at the
University of Pennsylvania and the author of Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance, uses all three in her TED talk: she makes herself relatable to
the audience by demonstrating her passion for teaching and making mistakes;
she also uses pathos to convince the audience that grit is an important factor
in success; finally, she uses logic to support her claims.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of watching a TED talk is being swept away
by the speaker's charisma and passion. The way they deliver their message
either makes us laugh, inspires us to want to take action, or both. Many
factors contribute to making a TED talk effective, but one of the most
important ones is the use of rhetoric elements and nonverbal communication.

Rhetoric elements can include anything from the choice of words and phrases,
to the tone and pacing in which they are delivered. In Angela Lee Duckworth's
TED talk, her speech is filled with powerful words that are carefully chosen
for their ability to communicate her point effectively and encourage others to
take action. For example, she uses words like "stunning," "unimaginable," and
"extraordinary" to describe how talent alone does not lead to success. She
also uses rhetorical questions at certain points in her speech to make
listeners feel compelled to think about what they themselves want out of life.
There are even moments where she pauses for effect before continuing on with
her speech—these pauses not only give listeners time to digest what she just
said, but it also gives them time to reflect on how it applies to their own
lives.