The natural
One of the first discussions in the book is about a study that Duckworth conducts where she selects a random selection of participants who listen to a musical performance. She asks them whether they prefer the "natural" talent or the not-so-talented musician who works hard at their craft. They consistently prefer the "natural," even though in reality, they are the same recording. She shows that the human mind has a bad habit of assigning arbitrary (nearly religious) significance to natural talent, because no one wants to believe that hard work is the secret for artistic mastery.
The hard-worker
This book is not about "naturals"; it is about the real artists who are willing to suffer for their craft, working daily to learn and improve at their craft. By hard work, they improve. They go through a journey of construction and deconstruction, and Duckworth shows that discipline takes them so far down a road of ability that their starting point is irrelevant. She explains that the "hard-workers" are the only true masters. No mastery has ever been attained by casual talent, in her point of view.
The artist before work
Duckworth addresses this person—the person who wants to be an artist but doesn't believe they have the talent. She explains that the dilemmas that face an artist before they work are secretly in their minds. They aren't real. She says that a person who is willing to try, even if they fail at first, and who continues learning and growing will become a skillful artist at whatever they dedicate themselves to, if they're honest about their mistakes. The artist before discovering their capacity for work is defined by abstract emotional battles that are largely irrelevant.
The goal-setter
Duckworth contrasts the would-be artist with the tangible goal-setter. The goal-setter is someone who has the discipline to be honest about their progress by establishing concrete goals. They organize their efforts and analyze their skills one by one, practicing where they need improvement. This is the musician who practices with the metronome. This is the artist who takes the time to draw stills and be honest about their performance.
