The Elements of Success: Self Motivation and Self Determination

Self motivation and self determination are the most important ways to succeed. In this essay I will use, “Learning to Read and Write” by Fredrick Douglass, “The Lonely, Good Company of Books” by Richard Rodriguez, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and an interview of Patti Read to argue that self motivation and self determination are the most important elements to becoming successful. First, I will frame my argument, and then I will incorporate my first source, followed by my second source, and then I will have a paragraph that will deal with the opposition, followed up with my final piece of evidence.

In this essay I will be identifying the most important ways of thinking about oneself in relationship to the world that can help lead a person toward success. I will first be using Fredrick Douglass, an American abolitionist, orator, and journalist, to show how his self motivation led to his success. Then, I will use Richard Rodriguez, an American writer, to give an example of how the determination to succeed is an important mindset for somebody who wants to live a fulfilling life. Followed up by a paragraph about Malcolm Gladwell, a journalist, author, and pop sociologist, stating the opposite point of view, that success is influenced by culture. Finally, I will use an interview done on Patti Read, a teacher, to give examples of how self determination, self motivation, and hard work have put her in the very successful position she is currently living in.

Being self motivated is an important part to becoming a successful person, as it is shown by Fredrick Douglass through his personal experiences. Douglass, being a young black slave, was not allowed to go to school, but his mistress educated him nonetheless. He states in this arti...

... middle of paper ...

...ple, such as Malcolm Gladwell, accept the point of view claiming that success is influenced by culture. Gladwell uses evidence such as plane crashes that occurred in Korean Airlines and how the culture of the pilots of the planes influenced the crashes. Gladwell claims that “Each of us has his or her own distinct personality. But overlaid on top of that are tendancies and assumptions and reflexes handed down to us by the history of the community we grew up in, and those differences are extraordinarily specific” (Gladwell 202). The co-pilot on Avianca 052, for example, did not know how to communicate with the tower in the urgent matter that was needed to tell them that the plane was out of fuel and the need to land immediately. Because the co-pilot did not make clear the urgency of landing the tower did not let them land, resulting in the crashing of the Avianca.