the right stuff
What success requires
The right stuff is the combination of qualities needed to succeed at something demanding—courage, skill, composure under pressure.
The phrase gained currency from Tom Wolfe's 1979 book about test pilots and astronauts, suggesting an ineffable quality that separates those who thrive in extreme situations from those who don't: She's got the right stuff to make partner.
- technical expertiseSpecialized professional skill
- confidenceSelf-assurance or trust
- heroismExceptional courage under duress
- courageFortitude facing danger
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
integrity · resilience · space exploration · mission control · meritocracy · all the way · perseverance · military aviation · test pilots · pioneering spirit · Chuck Yeager · sound barrier · pushing the envelope · grit · risk assessment · adaptability · American exceptionalism · Tom Wolfe
the right stuffincompetence
Lack of required skill
mediocrity · inadequacy · ineptitude · inability · amateurishness
the right stuffcowardice
Absence of bravery
weakness · spinelessness · gutlessness · no guts · faintheartedness
the right stuffunsuitable
Not fitting or appropriate
unfit · ill-suited · mismatched · square peg in a round hole · lacking
right, stuff, rights, righted, righting, rightful, rightfully, righteous, righteousness