Outliers Malcolm Gladwell Essay

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People tend to marvel at the characteristics of successful members of society without ever considering the circumstances that allowed them to achieve such success. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell claims that these over-achievers are only the way they are as a result of the circumstances around them. Furthermore, Gladwell emphasizes that if conditions are not perfect, even the most intelligent can not reach their goals. Gladwell frequently states that people are a product of the factors around them. One such factor is the amount of time a person dedicates towards a particular skill, craft, art, or activity, and the time required to be the best in a particular field is 10,000 hours. Bill Gates, having a net worth of approximately 90 billion dollars, is generally considered an epitome of success. Gladwell provides precise details about how Gates was able to become a pioneer. Gates gained a head start in the field of computing with access to “real-time programming as an eighth grader in 1968 (Gladwell 51).” In addition, Gladwell explains that a crucial aspect of Gates’ success was that he attended Lakeside School, one of the only high schools in the late ‘60s which has access to a time-sharing terminal. Gates also came from a family that …show more content…

Talent is the inherent aptitude that a person has, preparation is the development of a skill, and an opportunity is a pathway to success. Talent could be a possible factor for success, but it is often not very significant. For example, as I have stated before, I never really had an inherent ability to communicate with anyone. Only through talking with people did I really develop these skills. Therefore, preparation or just simple practice is far more important than talent. My opportunity to exercise those social skills has allowed me to excel in many of my extracurricular activities, as well as allowing me to form new

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