It’s confusing because “having grit” and “being gritty” are different things. If you describe a dive bar as “gritty,” you don’t mean it has perseverance and wi

It’s confusing because “having grit” and “being gritty” are different things. If you describe a dive bar as “gritty,” you don’t mean it has perseverance and will push through difficult tasks. I’ve worked on teams that look for “grit,” and at the time it meant someone would persevere in the face of adversity. Now I perceive it as a dog whistle for “willing to tolerate thankless and difficult work without adequate support or compensation.”