Analysis Of Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

In The Twelfth Night, Shakespeare writes, “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” To some extent, this is true. As discussed in Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, however, the origins of success are not at all random; there are specific factors, including how one is raised, where they come from, and one in a million chances that contribute to one's prosperity. An outlier is a piece of data that surpasses the value of its surrounding points. In terms of successful individuals, an outlier is someone who outshines their peers in their field, whether it be music, law, or soccer. It is clear that an outlier is not just born; they come out of opportunities, privileged backgrounds,

The first example used in the book is hockey players; the boys born in the earliest part of the year were the most physically mature by the beginning of the season, therefore receiving the best coaching. This opportunity “...makes the initially small difference bigger still- and on and on until the hockey player is a genuine outlier. But he didn’t start out are outlier. He started out just a little bit better” (Gladwell, 31). Despite the fact that this is the earliest example in the book, it perfectly paints the picture of Gladwell’s view on the makings of an outlier. As the book continues, there is discussion of tech gurus, musicians, and lawyers- all coming to the conclusion that “no one- not rock stars, not professional athletes, not

In the latter half of the book, the discussion moves from opportunities to backgrounds. A large determining factor in a person’s level of success is their culture, as well as where their parents come from. It was shown that hard working, low-income immigrant parents often had children that were the most successful. This was shown to be most prominent among Jewish lawyers in New York - the majority of prosperous lawyers came from underprivileged European families. A key point Gladwell makes in the book is that, “successful people don’t do it alone. Where they come from matters. They’re products of particular places and environments” (119). In the chapter The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes, the disastrous ending to the careers of captain Laureano Caviedes and first officer Mauricio Klotz. The fatal flaw in the flight was Klotz’s ethnicity; because of the high-power distance culture he came from in Colombia, he saw himself as a subordinate. This is what differs a successful pilot from those like Klotz and Caviedes. As a result of the power distance Klotz was accustomed to, he had a fear of giving the pilot direction despite being equally as knowledgeable, and as a