In the general perspective, a majority of people have come to believe that success derives within the personality and motives of the individual. In contrast, Malcolm Gladwell alleges in his bestselling non-fiction book Outliers that success is spawned by god-given advantages and opportunities that may not be welcomed to others by fate. Gladwell presents us with crucial evidence, such as the individual’s date of birth, the 10,000 hour rule, and their IQ, which has been proved to significantly increase their chances of success. Gladwell’s theory of success is credible and alluring because it belittles anyone who has not fallen into a blessed lifestyle. He admires those who have been born with opportunities clouding their life.
Gladwell states, “Successful people don’t do it alone.” (119). No matter what people do there is not a time when they aren’t surrounded by factors that will affect them. Factors like society, wealth, or family can change your path to your future. Wes Moore became a successful man who achieved his dreams of becoming a Rhodes Scholar, honored veteran, and great leader.
Hanford’s article also provides the example of the spelling bee, “In a study we found of finalist in the spelling bee, we found that grittier children completed more hours of deliberate practice [Pg. 52]”. Connecting Duckworth and Hanford’s article they both use the spelling bee to provide an example to understand the true definition of grit. In the article “Mindset,” by Carol Dweck, Dweck provides a definition and example of two mindsets. She focuses on having a growth mindset, since most people that obtain a growth mindset are most likely to be more successful in life.
“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live,” quoted Anne Sweeney, formerly the co-chair of Disney Media, President of the Disney–ABC Television Group, and the President of Disney Channel. In this quote, Anne wanted everyone to know that everyone has their own definitions of success and have their own ways to get their. Two ways that people define success is being happy or satisfied with what they love doing and reaching their goals after obstacles. These two features can be seen in the books, The Outliers, The Last Lecture, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and the article, Catching Kayla, by Digital Sports News. “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome,” stated
People have been successful repeatedly, but is there a pattern between wildly successful people? Do they have a secret to success that we can’t identify? What these authors believe is the secret to success is through research and observation. Malcolm Gladwell and Marge Piercy believe they have an answer to unlock success through that. In both texts, Malcolm Gladwell and Marge Piercy can agree on dedication, hard work, and purposeful practice are attributes you need to become successful.
Seong Hyun Kim(David) ELA 11 (-- removed HTML --) Most people normally think about intrinsic factors when they consider for the main components of success. However, Malcolm Gladwell, a famous writer, contradicts this tendency through the book, Outliers. Outliers insists that extrinsic factors define success rather than the intrinsic ones. Nonetheless, Gladwell himself goes against the topic of Outliers in his assertion: “if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires”.
Even though they felt distressed, they were ready to take risks, confront the challenges and keep working at them.” (p.77.) Being Gritty and having Growth Mindsets are big advantages. In the article “True Grit”, Duckworth and Eskreis-Winkler stated that “Gritty individuals are tortoise-like, distinguished by their propensity to maintain “effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress.” (p.51.)
The Three Methods to Success Many young ones today wonder about their upcoming future. What does it take to be successful? What does it take to make ones loved ones proud? According to the article “The Genius of Jobs” by Walter Isaacson and the article “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids” by Carol Dweck, people can obtain success in many different ways. Some people achieve success through being smart, while others gain success through applying the qualities of a genius, or having a growth mindset.
Those who achieve success do in fact work hard; however, there are also countless other factors that play a role in one’s success. Therefore, reading this book opened by eyes to the complexity of success. It is not simply one thing that can lead a person to success. Instead, it is a culmination of many factors that can allow a person to have a successful
According to Gladwell, it is often misconstrued that simply being the best at something is what makes you successful, it is actually due to the combination of opportunities, support, and hard work. These influences can be as insignificant as the date of birth or as important as the 10,000-hour rule. In this book, Gladwell points out that a person’s success
In the preface of Grit, Duckworth explains that “what we eventually accomplish may depend more on our passion and perseverance than our innate talent” (Preface). She goes on further to explain that talent is severely overrated and that “Grit is a common denominator of high achievers across very different fields” (Duckworth 3). Jim Carrey is a remarkable example of the power of grit and determination. According to, Carrey had a vision to become a successful actor and comedian, but he went through many trials. Despite being dyslexic and struggling at school which led him to ultimately having to drop out at 15, he worked hard and never gave up on his dreams (Abhinandhinee).
Think of success like watching a tree grow the branches split into different paths one can take each split is another opportunity to prosper and grow beautiful leaves like trophies. An uncommon belief is that the process of becoming successful is like a tree branch, if one starts off strong, more paths appear growing from the sturdy branch, and achieving goals lead to leaves growing to show wealth. “It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success,” (Gladwell 30). Author of nonfiction book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell, agrees with this uncommon belief, in his book he argues that success does not come from intelligence or passion
“The most successful people in life are both talented and gritty in whatever they’ve chosen to do,” claimed
Psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Duckworth expresses, “Passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out,… and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Duckworth works towards making grit become part of the school system to help children. Duckworth makes a point of explaining through a TED talk show, that children should be taught this desirable trait through “growth mindset”.
Growing up I’d just figured school and learning had a cutoff point (fast forward some 30 plus year’s later), boy was I wrong. Now married with kids, I must show them how continuing educational goals helps them be successful in life. Recently I had a talk with my oldest child (who is a high school freshman) about how important it is to get good grades. In our conversation I ask him what he want to be “a Sports Doctor!” he said.
