Analysis Of Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

Someone who comes from lowly ranks, breaks out of his inherited social position and climbs up the social ladder by himself is called a self-made man (Oxford Dictionaries, 2017). In Outliers, the author Malcolm Gladwell asserts “If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires (Gladwell, 2008).” This quote means that people should possess 4 intrinsic factors such as work hard, assert themselves, use mind and imagination to be succeed. Also, this quote seems to accept the concept of a self- made man by implying that those 4 intrinsic factors are enough to be succeed. However, the 11 chapters of Outliers argue that other extrinsic factors must exist for someone to succeed and

In fact, people can make their goals to be clear by working hard, using imagination and mind, and self- asserting. However, those 4 factors do not provide superior opportunities unlike to be born in the right time and place. To be specific, the possibility about people can be succeed is much higher when people were born right time and place which provides more opportunities to be succeed. For example, most of American billionaires today were born in around the same time. To be specific, in the 1860s and 1870s, the American economy went through perhaps the greatest transformation in history. Also, at that time industrial manufacturing started in earnest and all the rules by which the traditional economy had functioned were broken and remade (Gladwell, 2008). If people were born in 1830s, they can get superior opportunities from the economy transformation. This is because when the economy transformation occurred, they become appropriate age to take the superior opportunities. According to that, to be born at right time and place is more important than the 4 factors listed in Gladwell’s assertion. Therefore, Gladwell’s opinion that the 4 factors are enough to be successful is not

If people work hard, assert themselves, and use their mind and imagination, it help them to steadily go close to their goals. However, advantage from their cultural legacies can help them to achieve their goals by affecting the 4 factors listed in Gladwell’s assertion. In the chapter 8, Gladwell proves why the Asian people are good at math by using the information about their cultural legacy. As one of the Asian’s cultural legacy, hardworking is closely related to success. This hard working culture originated from Asian “skill oriented” agriculture (Gladwell, 2008). To increase their yields, they have to work hard and improve their cultivating skills. According to their agricultural style, they realized hardworking is prerequisite for success. Also, in order to be good at math, people have to consistently work hard. From their ancestors, Asians learned this cultural wisdom and applied it to success in math, so they study hard and remain good at math. According to that, advantage from the cultural legacy is more important than 4 factors listed in Gladwell’s assertion. Therefore, Gladwell’s assertion reveals its fallacy in practical