“Outliers are those who have been given opportunities—and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.”
We are all striving to be successful in one way or another. Success is often touted as being a result of talent and hard work, but there are many other factors that can play into a person’s success. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell examines several of the key factors that have led many people to success. However, it’s not as simple as following a few steps. When you were born, how many hours you put into your craft, your cultural heritage and where you live can all greatly affect your success – or lack of it.
I’ve enjoyed several of Malcolm Gladwell’s books – Blink, Tipping Point and Talking to Strangers. I plan to read all of them at some point. His books are very thought-provoking and make you look at society just a little bit differently after each read. Outliers is no different.
Seizing the opportunities presented to you is a very key part of success. Not every opportunity will be available to everyone, but when they do come, they often make the difference between a highly successful life and one that is just great or okay. For example, hockey players born early in the year when the age cutoff is Jan. 1 tend to make it farther in the sport because they are bigger when extra playing spots (tournaments, all-stars) come available. This results in more playing time, which makes them better players. Access to a computer in high school gave Bill Gates this advantage – he had more computer programming time earlier on than most people his age. The book also looks how cultural norms can affect success from the subservient South Korean culture leading to plane crashes to the Irish honor culture leading to feuds in the America.
Readers who like books that make them think will enjoy Outliers. I would highly recommend it to parents for them to realize some of the factors their children would need for success and to have a realistic vision of what can happen. It would be a good book for graduates.
What do you think is the key to success? Share in the comments!