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Social Epidemics In Malcolm Gladwell's 'The Tipping Point'

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In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell conveys the three rules of epidemics. Gladwell incites that small changes can make a big impact in social epidemics or outbreaks of ideas. Throughout the book he gives examples of various social epidemics, consequently he breaks them down according to the three rules of epidemics, types of people involved, and connection to other epidemics. However, the main focus of the book is the “tipping point” of social epidemics. Gladwell elaborates that small actions can create a “tipping point” based on timing, setting, and partners. He refers to the “tipping point” as the moment an epidemic takes off, it can happen with anything includint; trends, ideas, products, etc. Firstly, Gladwell mentions the three rules of epidemics throughout the book in order to connect the multiple epidemics to one another. Effectively he is able to break down the epidemics into simple, understandable categories clarifying the phenomenon he calls the “tipping point,”. Furthermore, the rules are: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. These three rules portray a way in which one can understand epidemics, particularly how and why they …show more content…

These examples help connect not only the three rule of epidemics, but also the three groups of people necessary to the pattern creating epidemics. Overall The Tipping Point answers questions about human behavior and how society works. The main focus of the book were the tipping points that could be reached by changing small details within an environment like the removal of graffiti in New York’s subways reduced crime rate. And overall, Gladwell proved that our environment is the biggest influence on our lives, behaviors, and

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In Malcolm Gladwell’s, The Tipping Point, the second chapter discusses the law of the few. While many people think it doesn’t matter what person an idea comes from, Gladwell explains that there are three main groups of people that help epidemics spread. The word epidemic is usually associated with deadly diseases, but Gladwell uses this word in a different context. When he uses the word epidemic he isn’t referring to sickness, but an idea or trend when it hits its tipping point, and begins to spread rapidly from person to person, much like a disease in an actual epidemic. Through Gladwell’s research, these people, known as connectors, mavens, and salesmen, have fundamental roles in creating tipping points.

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He outlines how even day to day choices are products of the environment, and that all situations lose meaning without context. Both of these lines of thinking overlap in one key area, art cannot exist separate from the world. In Gladwell 's paper, "The Power of Context", he also discusses how the practices of the law can be changed to better suit an interconnected world. The main example that he gave involved the New York City 's police force 's attempt to battle the rising tide of crime. During this epidemic, new and untested strategies were put into place.

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Technology and Its Control Over Society In many of his pieces, writings, and novels, Ray Bradbury reflects the immense reliance and close connection that humanity has with technology. He also depicts the dangerous effects that could come from having this relationship, such as a loss of independency and self-control over one’s mind and actions. If humanity were to continue to allow technology to have this disastrous power and control, society’s downfall is certain and destined to come.

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