The Art of Grit

(6 Minutes)

There are moments in life when we wonder—why do things happen the way they do? Why do we react in ways that sometimes surprise us? Why do certain patterns, whether in relationships, emotions, or circumstances, seem to repeat themselves? Buddhism offers a profound answer in the teaching of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), a concept that suggests nothing arises in isolation. Everything—every thought, action, and event—comes into being because of interwoven causes and conditions.

At first, this idea may seem abstract, but it is not some distant philosophical notion. Dependent origination is happening right now, in this very moment. It is what brought you to this article. It is why you think the way you do, why you feel drawn to certain people, why life unfolds in the way it does. If we learn to see it clearly, we move from being passive recipients of life to active participants, shaping our experiences with greater awareness and wisdom.

The Chain of Causes and Conditions

To illustrate dependent origination, the Buddha described a twelve-link chain of causality, showing how suffering arises and how it can be undone. But we do not need to memorize these links to grasp its essence. Simply put, nothing appears out of nowhere—every emotion, reaction, and experience is the result of countless prior conditions.

Think about a moment of frustration. Perhaps a colleague dismissed your idea, or someone cut you off in traffic. Instantly, anger flares up. But if you trace it back, you might see that the anger was not born in that instant. It was conditioned by factors like exhaustion, past disappointments, and even a subconscious fear of being overlooked. The external trigger was only the final piece in a much longer chain.

Now, imagine if, in that moment, you paused. Instead of being swept away by the emotion, you asked: What caused this? What conditions gave rise to it? That simple act of noticing disrupts the cycle. It creates space—space to respond differently, space to loosen the grip of reactivity, space to break patterns we once thought were unchangeable.

Patterns, Not Fixed Identities

This understanding applies not just to fleeting emotions but to deeply ingrained habits. Many of us carry a sense of self that feels fixed—I am impatient, I am anxious, I am not good enough. But when we apply the lens of dependent origination, these identities lose their rigidity.

A perfectionist may procrastinate, not because they are lazy, but because past experiences have taught them that anything less than perfect leads to rejection. A person who avoids difficult conversations may not be avoiding truth, but carrying the weight of old wounds. These patterns are not who we are; they are who we have been conditioned to be.

And if something is conditioned, it can also be changed. This is where the teaching of dependent origination becomes deeply liberating. We are not trapped in who we were yesterday. By changing the conditions—by introducing self-compassion, by surrounding ourselves with different influences, by gently challenging the stories we tell ourselves—we reshape the path ahead.

Extending This Understanding to Others

If we begin to see our own actions as the result of conditions, we inevitably extend that understanding to others. How often do we judge people at face value, labeling them as selfish, rude, or inconsiderate? But what if, instead of reacting, we paused and considered: What led this person to be this way? What conditions shaped them?

This does not mean excusing harmful behavior, but it does mean recognizing that people, like us, are shaped by forces beyond a single moment. It allows us to meet the world with more patience and curiosity rather than immediate judgment.

Imagine how this shift could change the way we interact with our families, our colleagues, even strangers. A moment of compassion—rooted in the awareness that we are all carrying invisible histories—can soften resentment, dissolve misunderstanding, and open the door to connection.

Shaping the Future, Moment by Moment

Perhaps the most empowering aspect of dependent origination is that it shows us how the future is always in motion. If our current experience is the result of past conditions, then our future experience will be shaped by what we do now.

This means that even small changes—choosing patience over anger, shifting negative self-talk, extending kindness where we once withheld it—can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see. The life we wish to lead is not built in one grand moment; it is woven through countless small choices, each one altering the conditions that shape our future.

An Invitation to See Differently

Take a moment to reflect on something in your life—a recurring struggle, a habit you wish to break, or even a moment of joy. What conditions contributed to it? What unseen threads are at play? And how might a small shift in those conditions create a new possibility?

Dependent origination reminds us that life is not happening to us—it is unfolding through us. It invites us to step back and see the quiet forces shaping our experience, not so we can control them, but so we can meet them with wisdom, curiosity, and a quiet sense of freedom.