Educating Genius...A Historical Research Project Companion Blog

Guest post by Kate Jakubowski In Finnish, the word sisu is a word denoting that someone has the bravery and strength to persevere—they have literal guts to achieve a goal. [1] Throughout the past century, there have been many gutsy women: Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Senator from Massachusetts; Mary McLeod Bethune, an advisor to FDR who played a key role in the demographic transition of the Democratic party; and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Supreme Court Justice. But I would argue that these women didn’t just have guts—they had grit. Facing gender, race, or even pregnancy discrimination, these women overcame obstacles to become trailblazers, advocates, and icons, and have inspired the next generation of ambitious young girls. Popularized by psychologist Angela Duckworth in a TED talk and explored further in her book with the same name, grit is “passion and perseverance for long term goals.” [2] She divides grit into four key traits: interest, practice, purpose, and hope. [3] The wom

  Guest post by Nick Quaney In the waning days of the Roman Republic, men or women who exhibited traits of benevolence, shrewdness, and humility were uncommon, if not impossible to find. However, three men come to mind, who oddly enough, were almost one hundred years apart, and yet show similar traits in how they affected people’s lives through their actions. These men are remembered for their impact on Roman society and history and their benefits to the people, though through their actions, they ultimately doomed the Republic and ushered in a new age. The brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, and Caesar Augustus, used their power for the people, to make life better for all Romans. The brothers Gracchi begin their story with Tiberius, the elder brother. Tiberius began his adult life like many Roman citizens of his time: through the military. After proving himself in many battles, he gained the respect of his superiors as a capable commander and a brilliant negotiator. In one instance,