The Power Of Context Gladwell Analysis

Individuals need to find a way to deal with their environment. In “The Power of Context,” Malcolm Gladwell introduces the power of environment and how society influences people’s behaviors. He suggests The Broken Windows Theory, which argues that crime is contagious because little acts of crime, such as graffiti and broken windows, develop into bigger crimes, such as murder. This is reinforced in “How to Tell a True War Story” by Tim O’Brien, because the piece explores how people deal with the negative affects of war. In "Wisdom," Robert Thurman introduces how important “selflessness” is. Selflessness is more realistic, because it connects individuals to their external environment. Internal self is the opposite of external environment. It

In order to function as an independent human being, individuals need to hold on to their internal selves. External environment influences individuals’ thoughts and behaviors. For example, Gladwell argues “ [i]f a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon more windows will be broken, and sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street” (152). If “no one cares” that a window has been broken and no one faces any consequences, people start to assume they are allowed to continue and repeat the action. Silence encourages crime. The surroundings, environment and feedbacks from others are all external thoughts and effects, which cause crime. Individuals’ behaviors have been influenced by the external environment. While people who live in the neighborhood start to commit crime due to the external effects, at the same time, O’Brien observers soldiers telling false stories because of the chaotic war environment. Both groups of people’s behaviors has been sharpened by the external environment. The influences of external environment deters people to act independently. The external environment force both group to do things that is unnecessary and can be avoided if individuals hold on their internal self. During a war, soldiers create false stories to cope with the environment. The stories they tell is false and have no moral in it. Mitchell Sanders acknowledges that he tells a false war story, he says “ Last night, man, I had to make up a few things. The glee club, There wasn’t any glee club. No opera” (O’Brien 320). Telling false stories is a bad thing since people start to lie and create more chaos. Soldiers start the bad behavior due to the terrible war