Question

PLEASE HELP!

Background: As you recall, Outliers explores the roles of opportunity and legacy in the story of success. Much of the book also dissects and debunks commonly-held views of success. Even though some of Gladwell’s assertions are debatable, the claim below is clearly primitive and incomplete.


Your task: Respond to the claim below by describing what is missing/incorrect in the person’s claim and offering a more accurate explanation using Gladwell’s theories. For your response, interpret and show how two specific, text-based ideas (theories, examples, experiments, historic references, etc.) support a more accurate understanding of the issue. Notice that you have a choice of which claim you chose to respond to. Please indicate which option you have selected at the beginning of your response.

Option #1: A successful person may claim, “I did this, all by myself.”

OR

Option #2: An unsuccessful person may claim “I give up. Whether I’m successful or not is out of my control."

Answer 1

Option #1: A successful person may claim, “I did this, all by myself.”

According to Gladwell's theories in Outliers, the idea that an individual's success can be attributed solely to their own efforts and abilities is incomplete and overlooks the role of external factors and opportunities in shaping one's path to success.

One of the key ideas in Outliers is the concept of the "10,000 hour rule," which suggests that achieving mastery in a particular field requires a minimum amount of deliberate practice. Gladwell cites numerous examples, such as the Beatles and Bill Gates, to illustrate how individuals who have reached the top of their respective fields have also put in significant amounts of time and effort to hone their skills. However, Gladwell also emphasizes that access to opportunities to practice and learn, as well as external circumstances such as culture and family background, play a crucial role in an individual's ability to reach the necessary 10,000 hours of practice.

Another theory that challenges the idea of individual meritocracy is Gladwell's discussion of the "Matthew Effect," which refers to the phenomenon of those who are already successful tending to become even more successful over time. Gladwell cites research showing that this effect is due in part to the benefits and advantages that accrue to those who are already successful, such as increased visibility and access to resources. This suggests that an individual's success may not be solely the result of their own efforts, but may also be influenced by the opportunities and advantages that they have received.

Overall, Gladwell's theories in Outliers highlight the importance of considering external factors and opportunities in understanding success, rather than attributing it solely to an individual's personal characteristics or efforts.