Malcolm Gladwell in the book Outliers: The Story of Success, talks about successful people and their success stories. He tries to isolate explanatory factors and narrows them down to instances where these successful people are exposed to these factors that have greatly contributed to their greatness. Gladwell propels the idea that success does not come because one is talented in doing things that bring it. Also, success does not rely on merit or hard work, and luck and circumstances play a critical role. Outliers make it in life because of very many factors that comes as a package. Apart from talent, hard work and merit, they stand out because they made good use the opportunities that came their way. It is from such insights that we gets to understand the fact that it takes great effort and time to be successful. The journey has not always been smooth for all successful people, but they seized opportunities and made their success stories.
Success cannot be attributed to an individual. There are people and opportunities that should be put to good use in order for something good to come out. That is why in his epilogue, he says that “the outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.” This could be insinuating the fact that there are several people and circumstances that may have contributed to their success. It is impossible for someone to be successful without other people contributing in their small or unique ways. Outliers cannot, therefore, look back and say that it was their effort and no one else’s. The Beatles, a musical group that Gladwell talks about may not have made it big in the music industry were it not for the fans which gave them moral support by wanting their songs and presentations over and again. Bill Gates is another example of a successful person who had access to a computer at a young age which exposed him to what became of him later on in life. This, therefore, means that there is someone who helped him access a computer. He says that, “a person should not ask where successful people are, but rather, ask where they are from.”
There are persons in life who try as much as they can to use some of their strengths to reach their success. It is good that everyone identifies their strengths and makes good use of them in order to reach great heights. Christopher Langan is one person who was blessed with a high IQ. In chapter three and four Gladwell talks about him and how he learnt how to read at a very tender age of three. He had an IQ that was higher than that of Einstein. He could ace high school foreign language tests easily to the amazement of many. This is a good indicator that people can use opportunities which are at their disposal to get the much sought after success.
My story is not unique from those given by Gladwell. I may not be where I am today in college, were it not the efforts of other people in the background. Borrowing from what he talks about in chapter two, Gladwell points out the magic number, ten thousand hours. By spending ten thousand hours doing something, a person will have spent enough time on something that will bring them success eventually. Success cannot be built in a day or week unless it is sheer luck. Spending a couple of years in college to receive training in my specialized field means that I will be in a better position to get employment. Things would have been different if I were a high school dropout.
There are am accumulated assorted advantages that can bring about success. In chapter six, Gladwell names a few advantages that can contribute to a person becoming successful. They include among other things the place in which a person was born, the professional engagements of their parents and the circumstances that surround their upbringing. Looking at these factors, I realize that I am a product of these factors. My parents were in formal employment, and I must say that I come from a middle class family. My family, friends and relatives gave education a lot of importance, and to them, there was no route to success other than getting a good education. In my neighborhood, I can see a lot of young people getting into formal employment and making it in life after college because they are well educated. Thanks to the surrounding where I was brought up, I have always wanted the best and, therefore, cannot settle for anything else.
My current status may have been different if some of these factors would not have shaped me. For instance, life would have been a lot different if I would have chosen to drop out at high school. I would just join a group of non performers in school. This means that my grades would be very bad. After high school, I would have also chosen to move out of home and seek menial jobs to earn a living just like some people that I know. There are some hidden advantages which helped shape the person I have become today. They include among others, supportive family, a couple of role models and my ability to remain focused and true to my goals. With the help of these factors, I can attest to the fact that I may have been a totally different person from who I am today. This then means that success comes from the initiative of several factors and several people apart from the very person in the middle of any given task.
I can gladly say that my experiences greatly connect to those of Gladwell’s thesis for a number of reasons. I cannot stand today and say that it has been my effort and hard work and that no one has contributed to that which I call personal success. When I look back, I see several people, my parents, friends, neighbor and classmates. Super stars, great men like Bill Gates, and I share a lot in common; that there are other people who have played pivotal roles in our lives. My success is my own effort and the effort of very many others.
In a nutshell, Gladwell wants a better world where everyone can thrive and become successful. It is not mere luck that brings success, but opportunities that bring the best out of a person. People are encouraged to create opportunities that will nurture them and bring the best out of them. At my individual capacity, I have tried to work hard at everything I do. This is reflected in my academics and social life as well. I see the example of the Beatles, who used the opportunity that came their way in Germany to promote their songs and perform in concerts something that helped to propel them into great heights. I am not an exception because I have been faced with a lot of shortcomings, but I have used those opportunities to learn. I pick up from where I left and move on with life with a resolution never to commit a mistake twice. There are challenges and better opportunities, and it is, therefore, the work of everyone to make the best out of them. Society should, therefore, provide an opportunity for everyone to learn and make the best out of themselves.
Work Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little Brown. 2008
