--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’d rather be defined by perseverance…" description: "\"“I’d rather be defined by perseverance than by whether or not I passed an exam.”\" — Adam M. Grant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a95/adam-m-grant-1427_perseverance_i-d-rather-be-defined-by-perseverance-th_1924281.jpg" --- # I’d rather be defined by perseverance than by whether or… ![“I’d rather be defined by perseverance than by whether or not I passed an exam.” quote by Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a95/adam-m-grant-1427_perseverance_i-d-rather-be-defined-by-perseverance-th_1924281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a95/adam-m-grant-1427_perseverance_i-d-rather-be-defined-by-perseverance-th_1924281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a95/adam-m-grant-1427_perseverance_i-d-rather-be-defined-by-perseverance-th_1924281.jpg) > ““I’d rather be defined by perseverance than by whether or not I passed an exam.”” [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perseverance defines character more than a single test result; lasting effort matters. **In simple terms:** Perseverance matters more than a test score. Key Takeaway Focus on consistent effort. Themes perseverance character achievement Mood inspirational determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career development - academic pursuits - personal goals Key Concepts growth mindset resilience education Questions to Reflect On - How can you demonstrate perseverance daily? - What does define success for you? A Different Perspective A single exam can still be critical for certain pathways. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defined Perseverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined-perseverance-2973322/) [Exam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exam/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Passed Exam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passed-exam-2220548/) [Perseverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseverance/) [Perseverance Passed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseverance-passed-2973323/) ## Related quotes > [All I could do at school was paint and draw and that was the only time I ever passed any exam. 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They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [Life is the most difficult exam. Many tend to fail in it copying others not realizing that each one has a different question paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-tend-to-fail-in-it-copying/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) ## More by Adam M. Grant > [“the higher the psychological safety in a unit, the fewer errors they made. Why? In the units that lacked psychological safety, health care professionals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-higher-the-psychological-safety-in-a-unit-the-fewer-errors-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“And in the long run, research shows that the mistakes we regret are not errors of commission, but errors of omission. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“the change of context brought renewed energy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-change-of-context-brought-renewed-energy/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“I was dismayed to discover that even today, speaking while female remains notoriously difficult. Across cultures, there’s a rich body of evidence showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/i-was-dismayed-to-discover-that-even-today-speaking-while-female/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Setting high expectations is so important,” Skender says. “You have to push people, make them stretch and do more than they think possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/setting-high-expectations-is-so-important-skender-says-you-have-to/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“analysts were more likely to maintain their star performance if they worked with high-quality colleagues in their teams and departments. The star analysts relied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/analysts-were-more-likely-to-maintain-their-star-performance-if-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Speak softly, but carry a big stick. —Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick-theodore-roosevelt-u-s-president/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Talented people are attracted to those who care about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/talented-people-are-attracted-to-those-who-care-about-them/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“When our audiences are skeptical, the more we try to dominate them, the more they resist. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“In a classic experiment, when people received help from one peer, they were more likely to give help to another peer, matching by following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/in-a-classic-experiment-when-people-received-help-from-one-peer-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/a-new-scientific-truth-does-not-triumph-by-convincing-its-opponents/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) [Explore all 241 Adam M. Grant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## More Exam quotes > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [Life is the most difficult exam. Many tend to fail in it copying others not realizing that each one has a different question paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-tend-to-fail-in-it-copying/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I didn't go to university. They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city's worst university, Hangzhou Teachers University. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-flunked-my-exam-for-university-two-times-before-i-was-accepted-by/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-was-thrown-out-of-college-for-cheating-on-the-metaphysics-exam-i/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Please, God,' Ruth would pray, 'don't let me be competitive. Let me realize what a privilege it is to study. Let me remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-ibbotson/please-god-ruth-would-pray-don-t-let-me-be-competitive-let-me-realize/) [Eva Ibbotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-ibbotson/) > [“one of those nightmares where it’s the final exam for a course”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kreider/one-of-those-nightmares-where-it-s-the-final-exam-for-a-course/) [Tim Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kreider/) > [One of the leading causes of divorce is sexual incompatibility. 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