Study shows the brains of 'gritty' people work differently from people who are less perserverant

When asked to think of someone really'gritty', an image of US marshal Rooster Cogburn in the film'True Grit' may spring to mind. Throughout the story, Cogburn demonstrates an unwavering determination to catch the criminals and fugitives he pursues, and protect 14-year-old Mattie, who has hired him to track down her father's killer. Now a new study has found that the brains of'gritty' people like Cogburn work differently to those who are less perseverant towards their goals. It found that people who are more determined to achieve their long-term goals find it easier to consider all available information while remaining sensitive to new conflicting information. This may help them be more aware of the presence of conflicting goals in their everyday life that could take them off-track from their longer term ones.