On Really Trying: The Hidden Power of Genuine Effort

Executive Summary

Gwern's essay explores the concept of 'trying'—not as a vague intention, but as a concrete, measurable allocation of resources and attention. He argues that most people fail to truly try because they give up prematurely or avoid honest self-assessment. Using examples like chess and coding, he emphasizes that real effort requires setting explicit goals, tracking progress, and persisting through difficulty, making 'trying' a learnable skill that compounds over time.

Key Bullet Points

• True 'trying' means investing time and focus with clear feedback loops, not just wishing or half-hearted attempts.
• People often stop trying too early or rationalize failure, missing the nonlinear returns of sustained effort.
• Gwern uses his own experiences (e.g., chess, programming) to show that deliberate practice and iteration outperform raw talent.
• Honest self-measurement and comparison against standards are essential to avoid self-deception about effort.
• Trying is a repeatable strategy: each genuine attempt provides information that improves future attempts.