The Outliers - Part One

I discussed earlier that I started reading The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and have thus far finished part one. In short, it's a collection of chapters aimed at uncovering why some people are insurmountably more successful than others. In part one we read about everyone, from a group of illness-proof immigrants, to professional athletes, to the Beatles, to Bill Gates, the list goes on.

In each chapter Gladwell uses a great deal of research to substantiate his claim that success isn't exclusively due to natural talents, but rather a series of lucky breaks, excellent role models, and good old fashioned hard work and practice.

In chapter one Gladwell discusses accumulative advantage, in that “It is those who are successful ... who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success.” For example, if at a young age you exhibit even the slightest advantage over others, you are likely to get placed in "gifted" classes or have the opportunity to attend special programs, which leads to you further excelling. Whereas, the other students have missed the boat and will not have the chance at extra attention. Gladwell notes, “Because we so profoundly personalize success, we miss opportunities to lift others onto the top rung.”

We run into the Beatles and Bill Gates in chapter two, where Gladwell discusses the 10,000 hour rule; this suggests that in order to become an expert in a field, you need to accumulate ten-thousand hours of practice (guess how many hours it took the Beatles to get to Sargent Pepper and for Gates to found Microsoft) . In chapter three and four Gladwell discusses true geniuses, in terms of IQ and practical intelligence, that is knowing "what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect.” In these chapters you learn how even children with the highest IQs can fall victim to a poor upbringing. And finally, in chapter five you'll learn the history behind the success of Jewish immigrants in the late Nineteenth Century.

If learning the secrets behind these success stories intrigues you, I suggest you pick up the book. At times, I have found myself being ultimately human by becoming jealous of what I thought was the natural success of others. But now I find myself analyzing my own lucky breaks and leaving doors and eyes open to opportunities for success.