Malcolm Gladwell Essay - 1361 Words

Interaction Between Personality and Environment A theory that an individual’s behavior is most likely based on factors such as personal convictions, personality, or inherited genes is a common belief in nowadays’ society. This theory seems like reasonable and logical because it is quite natural that a person’s behavior follows his or her characters. Malcolm Gladwell, however, in his essay, â€Å"The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime,† examines those factors affecting peoples’ behaviors and comes up with his own theory. Gladwell believes that the environmental conditions have the most significant influence on how one behaves. Throughout his essay, he presents a few different studies to help persuade†¦show more content†¦In contrast, even though one was once intended to commit a crime, if one is at the place where is comfortable and tidy, one cannot commit a violent act easily and actually begins to think again about breaking a law. This theor y flows into Gladwell’s argument about the Tipping Points that forces people toward violence. Gladwell believes that the little things around people can act as catalysts and significantly change the outcomes of certain situations. As Gladwell notes, â€Å"The Power of Context is an environmental argument. It says that behavior is a function of social context† (Gladwell 159). There has been a similar argument about influence of surroundings in earlier days, but it shows little difference from the claim of Gladwell. Early environmentalism emphasizes the importance of fundamental social factors; crime is the result of social injustice, structural economic inequities, racism, and decades of social neglect (Gladwell 159). However, according to the Power of Context, Tipping Point – the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to an irreversible development – may be as simple and trivial. People do not have to solve the big problems or undertake some heroic steps to decrease a crime rate. All they need to do is scrubbing off graffiti and arresting fare-beaters. An individual’s personality or character also plays an important role in decision-making. Although environmental conditionsShow MoreRelatedOutliers, By Malcolm Gladwell1245 Words   |  5 Pagesspan of 3 years? Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers, suspects that there is something more behind this occurrence than just a simple coincidence. He asserts that there is no such thing as a self-made man and success does not come from natural talent, rather it comes from extraordinary opportunities and hidden advantages. In Outliers, Gladwell attempts to debunk the myth that people are successful because of themselves, and not because of other factors. Even Malcolm Gladwell acknowledges thatRead MoreOutliers, By Malcolm Gladwell1431 Words   |  6 PagesOutliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell, examines the wonder of high achievement, and success frequently attributed to the hard work, determination, and specific talent in individuals. Gladwell succeeds at analyzing judgments and cultural epidemics, while putting his thesis into view, and explaining his proof through a series of short, exemplifying accounts. Stressing the fact that hard work is a crucial factor in becoming successful, Gladwell does not deduct the need for discrete skills. Factors suchRead MoreThe Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell866 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Oxford Dictionary, an expert is a person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area. But with this simple description of an ‘expert’, what does it truly mean? Malcolm Gladwell, a famous writer and speaker, with 10, 000 hours one could succeed to become an expert in a certain area. Gladwell explains his theory of 10, 000 hours in his book, â€Å"The Outliers,† with various examples of not only talented but also respected figures such as an European Violinist, Bill Gates, and evenRead MoreOutliers, By Malcolm Gladwell1739 Words   |  7 Pagesmany perplexities associated with the reasons why particular notable events occur and why certain people achieve success while many others fail. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, the reasons for these unusual happenings are explained as he argues that many of the factors ignored by most people actually matter. Throughout the book, Malcolm Gladwell insisted that overlooked factors such as heritage, birthdate, culture, and time period are important in understanding the outliers in society. He usedRead MoreOutliers by Malcolm Gladwell 1451 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful and that we all have the same opportunities and chance of success, if enough work is applied. With this ideal, people can blame their failure on not working hard enough or having an adverse life. However, Malcolm Gladwell sees success in contrast to the common people. Gladwell believes that success is mainly caused by having the right opportunity and circumstances rather than by working hard. David Karp, founder of the international social networking site Tumblr, is an individual who embodiesRead MoreOutliers : By Malcolm Gladwell1917 Words   |  8 Pages Malcolm Gladwell wrote the book titled Outliers to show the world how unique people got their start and all of the factors and obstacles it takes to succeed in life. Every chapter of this book contains a different success story. At the beginning of each new section, Malcolm describes where each story is taking place and who will be involved. An example of this unique imagery includes the start of the chapter titled, â€Å"The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes,† when Malcolm Gladwell described the settingRead MoreThe Roseto Mystery By Malcolm Gladwell1326 Words   |  6 Pagesbook â€Å"Outliers†, Malcolm Gladwell begins the novel with an introduction recounting Stewart Wolf’s breakthrough with the understanding of healthcare, and relates it to his goal to expand the reader’s understanding of success. Gladwell starts â€Å"The Roseto Mystery† with a descripti on of the small town of Roseto, Italy, a bustling community filled with lively Italians and its immigration and recreation in Pennsylvania. Just as the complex town of Roseto implants itself into America, Gladwell integrates thought-stimulatingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Malcolm Gladwell 1170 Words   |  5 Pagesworked to be successful. In the Outliers book Malcolm Gladwell argues that we should look at the world that surrounds successful people. For instance their culture, family, experiences, and their upbringing. Gladwell has made an interesting argument about how people become successful. In this paper, I will be talking about how Bradley Byrne, US Representative for Alabama became successful using some information from Gladwell’s arguments. Gladwell wants to convince readers that different kinds ofRead MoreOutliers, By Malcolm Gladwell3671 Words   |  15 Pagessuccess can be achieved. With many theories out there on success, it is hard to figure out what is needed to be done to gain success. In everyone’s lives there are many different beliefs out there that can lead to it. In the book â€Å"Outliers† by Malcolm Gladwell, there are numerous theories that are covered with examples of successful people. They clearly show how success can be done in not just one way but in many others. The most known people that are considered to be successful are billionaires andRead MoreSuccess By Malcolm Gladwell1598 Words   |  7 PagesIn society, there is a common misconception that success simply arises from a combination of an individual s innate talent and drive to acquire success. However, in the book Outliers-The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, Gladwell introduces a new and different perspective of the foun dation of success, and proposes that other factors contribute to and can even determine the likelihood of someone succeeding. Aspects such as hidden advantages, upbringing, timing, and cultural legacies play a significant