The meaning of "success" has numerous interpretations, whether it is your own or society's definition. Within Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell explains that being successful has nothing to do with what kind of person you are, so whether you are intelligent and hardworking or lazy and aloof, it depends on your circumstances growing up. Whether your parents happen to be immigrants, you are one of the smartest men in the country or you make a habit of practicing an activity for a certain amount of hours a day, your own personal success, according to Gladwell is defined by the conditions you grew up in; the idea of being successful varies from culture to culture, therefore, there is no definite meaning of success other than one's interpretation. …show more content…
Despite these conditions you would probably assume that he works for the government or something along those lines, however, that is not the case. Due to the condition of his family, Lagan did not have much exposure to opportunities that would help him in the near future: "But that's because those others had had help along the way, and Chris Langan never had. It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one--- not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses--- ever makes it alone" (Gladwell 172). Robert Oppenheimer, a man with about the same IQ, comes from a wealthy family and was provided opportunities that helped shape his future and become a successful theoretical physicist. According to Gladwell, there is a 10,000-hour rule which details that if you want to become an expert in something that you would need to practice that skill for at least 10,000 hours. Practice in reality is a primary factor in determining your success: "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good." (Gladwell 59). If people did not condition themselves to practice for a number of excruciating numbers during the week, would we have people such as Yo-Yo Ma or Beethoven, both
‘In study after study… no one has yet found a case in which true world-class experience was accomplished in less time’” (Gladwell, 12). When Gladwell uses both studies, he mentions the names of professionals and their field of study which provides a credible backing for the evidence Gladwell uses. In the evidence, he also uses the specific statistics recorded from the studies in order to build concrete proof of how those who succeeded, have reached the top through practicing the most out of all the others.
Some people presume that we have the ability to control our own lives, while others believe that we should let fate deal with its creations. Two authors, Shakespeare and Malcolm Gladwell take different perspectives on this topic. Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, the story of Macbeth, a skilled solider that meets three witches. The three witches tell Macbeth his future, that he will become Thane of Cawdor and the King. Fortunately for the witches, a servant comes to inform Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor and Macbeth is startled. Shakespear concludes that letting fate deal with its consequences is the best option. However, the author of Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell, argues that working hard and preparing is more
Malcolm Gladwell makes many debatable claims in his book “The Outliers”. One of these controversial topics is brought up in chapter three when he talks about a person’s IQ and how that relates to one’s success. After reading “Outliers” I believe that this is the most controversial topic. I agree with Malcolm Gladwell because there are a lot of people who are not really smart that are very successful, success can be viewed differently by different people, and by my own experiences on the U-High soccer team.
To be successful has many interpretations, whether it be your own, from the dictionary or societies’ definition. Within Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell explains that being successful has nothing to do with what kind of person you are, so whether you’re intelligent and hardworking or lazy and aloof, it depends on your circumstances growing up. Whether your parents happen to be immigrants, you’re one of the smartest men in the country or you practice like there’s no tomorrow, your own personal success, according to Gladwell is defined by the conditions you grew up in; the idea of being successful varies from culture to culture and because of that there is no definite meaning of successful other than one’s interpretation.
Example Two - Two families in Harlan, the Howards and Turners, put small town on map, because
What is the real definition of success, in fact is there even a definition? Well, in the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell it is the story of success. Some successful people are born with talent, and skills. As others may have to put in hard work to get to where they are. Every successful person is different, which means there is no definition for being successful. Being successful is made of many different categories. Many successful people are born with talents, put in hard work, and are different from everyone else.
This plays a role in the story as the author constantly tries to define how certain individuals are more successful than others. Throughout the outliers, Gladwell attempts to question how success is made from asians having a higher intelligence in math, to the months of successful hockey players, and how certain individuals succeed without studying. By looking at ways
From our readings in Outliers we’ve learned how difficult it is to succeed in life without hard work and savvy. Even geniuses have been known to underachieve if their intelligence fails to match a great work ethic. Other factors come into play as well that help those who have ascended in a field reach their potential” Their success was not just of their own making. It was a product of the world in which they grew up.” (pg. 67 Gladwell) For those of us that lack the hidden advantages afforded to the wealthy, we look to education in order to bridge the gap between, what society deems as success and failure which presents its own interesting challenges. Being smart enough to excel in higher education
Malcolom Gladwell wrote Outliers to inform readers on how to achieve success in life. It looks into the lives of other successful people and shows how practice, equal opportunity, and the help of others one can achieve the success that many others have achieved.
I do believe that innate talent is a real and has a factor in determining one’s success in a certain field. Through the study of genetics, innate talents are proven to be real and can be founded in the traits people are born with. For instance, arm length is a remarkable factor in sports like boxing, tennis, and volleyball. However, natural talent alone does not specifically mean success or mastery of a field. Success is determined by the talents an individual has, the amount of preparation and practice done, and the number of opportunities one is presented with.
The amount of time that you practice can help you be more talented or it can improve your talent because you are
I have recently finished reading *Outliers* by Malcom Gladwell and I personally consider the book to be a piece of idiosyncratic brilliance. As I read chapter after chapter I have put some thought into the idea of intelligence and what it is that makes some more successful than others. Though I will have to say that success is subjective, not only measured by the amount of dollars in a bank account, the number of assets, or degrees, yet these are measures generally use as indicators of success given the correlation among them. Gladwell 's explanation of what makes an individual an outlier is sensible to those of us who inquire a comprehensive explanation of the aforementioned topic of discussion.
“ Is the ten-thousand-hour rule a general rule of success? If we scratch below the surface of every great achiever… some sort of special opportunity for practice?”Pg.47
The definition of success may vary depending on who you ask. many believe that the only way to succeed is to have a lot of money; however, there others that believe just having a roof over your head when going to sleep would be considered successful. I am one of those believers. I believe if you have a bed to go sleep at night, food on the dinner table, a healthy family you are considered successful. Every American would love to live the “American dream” which considers a well-paying job, a beautiful house and an amazing family. Happiness is a big factor where I got my definition from. People strive to achieve their goals and when they do reach their goals they become a happy person. No matter what their goal maybe as long as they complete
Ever since we are born we are told by our parents, relatives and friends that in order to be successful you need an education. Our parents are constantly doing everything that is in their hands to ensure our future. Coming from parents that were not given the opportunity to get a proper education, they have enforced and prioritized education in myself as well as my siblings in order to have a better future. Most, if not all of our parents want us, their child, to be better than them, to achieve better things in life. There is one thing that we all have in common, that is our desire to be successful. Now the idea with the word success is that it can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on who you ask. I personally view success as being financially stable as well as spiritually. When thinking of a person who I viewed as successful, I thought of my friend Airam. I have known Airam for about five years now, if not more. Airam has been a nurse for a little bit more than two years now. I recently asked her how did she view success. Airam described being successful as being academically, economically and self-accomplished.