Essay On Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

If you were to ask a few people how they measured success, most of the answers would vary. Some may state that is based on your monetary value or that it is measured by your happiness. Yet, these answers can be categorized by a broad definition: success is achieving the goal you set your mind to. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, challenges the societal view of how success is ultimately obtained. The author states “...if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires” to emphasize the importance of persistence and work ethic when looking for success (Gladwell 151). This statement characterizes the central aspect to achieving everything you set out to do; however, it

People will never find their own triumphs without this key ingredient. John D. Rockefeller serves as the epitome of the American Dream. He lived an impoverished childhood, and by the age of sixteen he had began working as a bookkeeper. He worked doggedly to reach the point where he and his brother could open Standard Oil, a company that would hold a monopoly on the oil business for many years. Through the work put into starting and running the company, Rockefeller shaped the world to his wishes, and died with a personal net worth that accounted for “10% of the nation’s GDP”, which amounted to around 1.4 billion dollars (Mont). My grandfather also provides an example of how hard work and assertion aid in shaping the world to your desires. After receiving his degree from Texas Tech, he joined the Air Force as a second lie. He worked many years within the military and rose in ranks to retire as a Brigadier General, logging over 4,000 flying hours. He accomplished this through his dedication to the cause and unwavering service. After his military retirement, he went on to work as an investment manager for many years, even starting his own firm. He eventually retired

Opportunities occur in all shapes and sizes, but they often are presented off of pure luck or who you know or are related to. Kelly Clarkson, an American Idol winner, serves a clear picture of opportunity driving success. As a young adult, she worked to create a music career that ultimately fell short, until her friend mentioned an opportunity to audition for American Idol (“Kelly Clarkson”). She utilized this platform in order to kickstart her music career, eventually working to produce and earn number one hits and grammys. There is no doubt that Kelly worked diligently for her success, yet it is important to realize that without the opportunity of American Idol she may have never reached the career she has today. My sister, Hunter, and I also can accredit some of our successes to an opportunity provided partially by our parents and partially by luck. From elementary school through middle school, we attended a charter school, Core Knowledge. This school purposely kept very small class sizes so all learning was very personalized. Here we were encouraged to excel academically. The skills we learned at this school put us ahead as we entered high school, ultimately helping us keep our grades and motivations towards school high. With this in mind, Hunter was able to graduate high school and receive a scholarship for in-state tuition at