Simply Not an Outlier From the book authored by Malcolm Gladwell, named “Outliers: The Story of Success;” Out•li•er \-,lī(-ə)r\ noun 1: something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body 2: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample Outliers, defined by Malcolm Gladwell, people who “do not fit into our normal understanding of achievement.” Gladwell discusses how success is not achieved through self-efforts, but rather because of hidden advantages; circumstances, opportunity, education, family, community, and the readiness for diligence. Gladwell has known people who are “smart, ambitious and not rich.” His point throughout this book is that many circumstances …show more content…
James was nurtured in a family that struggled financially. He had a lazy, uneducated, street-smart father. His father at times had decent paying jobs, but because of his laziness, the father would awaken and decide not to go to work, losing pay for the day. It is strange why his father had this behavior as his father's mother was an incredibly hard-working, single parent, and continuously provided the essentials for him and his three siblings. On the other hand, unlike his father, James mother is responsible and motivated. She went to a vocational school and obtained a certificate in Nursing as an assistant. Afterwards, she worked a forty hour week to generate the same sum of income as his father did in a single day. Later in James life, his mother divulged just how senseless it was to work a complete week, meaning she labored forty hours for nothing since the father took numerous days …show more content…
There were t occasions when his meals consisted of spaghetti noodles and sauce for an entire week. Pancakes prepared with water or perhaps just sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper. Living in a single parent and struggling environment did take part in James success. Unlike when Gladwell suggests Chris Langan, a gifted child was reared in an unpromising environment by parents that were too occupied or absent, unable to develop his talents. Langan's environment affected him, so he floundered. James single parent life consisted of his mother too being occupied and absent due to the job, yet he succeeds. His environment created opportunities to learn and observe those around him. He learned to cook, wash his clothes, responsibility, and most importantly, working hard to sustain life. He wanted to succeed in the same way as his grandmother and mother. He did not intend to mirror his father. By the way, later in James adult life, he accepted his father's new family under his roof, consisting of six half-siblings. He shouldered the supported and helped to raise those kids for five years. That reflects another story his mother told him about, how his grandmother was continuously taking people in to help
He was offered a “Club cap” but James “gave it back” to his friend, Kris. They waited until Kris left the apartment building, then played a game of checkers. James had wanted to fit in with his friends in the “K-Bones” club but had realized that his brother was more important. He pushed his friend away to play games with Isaac. Furthermore, James has to “take care of” Isaac when his mother is at work. Even when he is trying to fit in with a devious club, he would still “hold Isaac’s hand” or even “carry him home”. James is a very nice and caring brother. This is logical because, that is what a good brother should look like. James must truly love Isaac as his brother, and admires his family more than his
In this memoir, James gives the reader a view into his and his mother's past, and how truly similar they were. Throughout his life, he showed the reader that there were monumental events that impacted his life forever, even if he
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man, and that success is only the result of a person’s circumstances. However, throughout the novel Gladwell points out that your circumstances and opportunities only help you become successful if you are willing to take advantage of them and work hard. From a twelve year old living in the Bronx, to those who were born at just the right time to become millionaires, one thing is the same throughout; these people because successful because they seized the opportunities they were given. The advantages and opportunities that came from their circumstances would not be important if they had not grasped them. Every successful man is self made, because he has seized the
I am not convinced that because one is born at the beginning of the year that one is going to be more successful than one who is not. I can be convinced more easily that one’s environment has undue influence on one’s home life but not one’s birth date. There are multiple factors that allow for success that include study, training, encouragement, rest, etc. However, in the context of Gladwell’s book Outliers and the points he made, I believe Outliers is good science because he seems to be challenging that Outliers are not so uniquely
The ideas presented in Outliers are surprisingly aligned with my own. It makes sense to me that a person’s success isn’t all about ability and his or her individual merit. In the past I have reflected upon my successes to find that I was not alone while achieving them. I have been given tremendous opportunities in life. I have always challenged my own definitions, and I like the spin Malcolm Gladwell puts on his.
Malcolm Gladwell once said, “...people who are outliers—in men and women who, for one reason or another, are so accomplished and so extraordinary and so outside of ordinary experience that they are as puzzling to the rest of us as a cold day in August.” The author, Wes Moore, of the book, The Other Wes Moore, is considered an outlier through the “Gladwellian” lens based off of Gladwell’s book, Outliers. Wes’s story demonstrates objectives that define him as an outlier with the contributions of where he’s from, his advantages, and also his attitude over his ability. These contributions therefore define him as an outlier through the “Gladwellian” lens.
We have learned our own individual personality can drive our sense of direction. The choices James made during his childhood where not his fought, he did not have the parental guidance during his developmental stage. Amazingly, he conquered all to obstacles to become successful.
If people work hard, focus, and are disciplined, they will succeed in the future. This has become a universal idea taught by parents, teachers, and peers. People have passed down this idea to the younger generations and they chose to live by this moral that makes sense. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell debunks the universal idea that working hard will allow people to play hard and get further in life. Gladwell eliminates the traditional ideas of success by showing that opportunities, family background, and being born at the “right” time are actually what lead to success.
In Chapter 8 and 9 of Outliers: The Story of Success, Gladwell exams some of the ways that Asian and American students learn math, arguing that some of the principles in the US education system should be reconsidered. I generally agree with Gladwell’s point of view. I believe in two ways, students ' principal spirit and the length of students’ studying, the US education system leaves much to be desired, though an overhaul is in progress.
... would be the amount of worth and credence he puts into his academic success, which could subsequently help with a scholarship for his education. And finally, his chronosystem was affected during his teenage years when his dad lost his job. As a family we were forced to cut back on spending which is the only way Joshua was affected. If Joshua had been 40 years old and lost his job, the stress to him would have been unsurmountable compared to his dad losing his job when he was just 16-years old. Historically, if women were never allowed to have the job opportunities as they do today our family would have been a one income family, substantially reducing our ability have Joshua in extra-curricular activities like baseball and the music he loves so much. Without these outlets Joshua may not have succeeded academically nor would he have had access to outside resources.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: the story of success. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. 1-91. Print.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: the story of success. 2011. Reprint. New York: Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Co., 2008. Print.
James was an authoritarian parent. He was controlling, in-charge and no one questioned him. He would play the role of the doting father. When his children made mistakes, he made a point to criticize them. He often compared them to other kids that he felt were “more perfect.” When his often unspoken expectations were not met he would yell and scream striking fear into his entire family. “He’s not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy, and he’s not going to inspire feelings of intimacy. But when his system works, he can boast about one thing: His recruits tend to obey” (Dewar).
When Jim was 14 and his father lost his job, he learned that "life offers