Spring Break
What really counts when measuring success
It's Down to This
Kimberly Tsao
Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: Opinion
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"What is your ambition in life?" the questionnaire asks me.
"To be happy and successful," I answer.
In Malcolm Gladwell's best-selling book, "Outliers," he delves into theories about why successful people are just that successful.
He goes into how birthdays have something to do with it. Gladwell brings his point home by connecting students' birthdays to their degree of success in school.
I have to agree because not one, but two, of my siblings are victims of this horrible monstrosity that is the school system.
Since their birthdays are in September and December, neither of them made the June cutoff date. This means they'll have higher chances of excelling academically, according to Gladwell.
My siblings do well in school, but thanks to Gladwell, I wonder whether that's because of their abilities or their birthdays.
The author's next theory stipulates that people will thrive in whatever they choose to do as long as they've practiced for at least 10,000 hours.
He claims that's what happened with The Beatles and Bill Gates. Maybe you've heard of them.
Again, I have to side with Gladwell on this. As a journalism major, who knows where I would be if I didn't write one-liner diary entries as a child, such as "I got a haircut today"?
I'd be scrounging for food. Oh, wait ...
Don't take my word for it. Even Reese Witherspoon recently vouched for this 10,000-hour theory. She said she started acting at a young age and now she's an Academy-Award winner.
The book also covers how the right attitude translates into a math extraordinaire and how a high IQ doesn't equal success. I think most of us can agree not everyone can be a genius.
Gladwell also explores how people's cultures can influence the outcome of their lives. Remember the plane that crashed into a river recently?
He basically says this could happen when you pair, say, a Korean pilot with a Caucasian captain, since the latter's culture has one of the lowest power-distance index, meaning they speak to their superiors in the same way they would anyone else.
However, the writer says respect for elders is so deeply embedded in Korean culture that if they are the subordinates in a situation, like an impending plane crash, they're not going to say anything to the captain.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Phyllis
posted 5/13/09 @ 8:23 AM PST
Kimberly - I appreciate your article. It was healthy and inspiring. Sometimes we feel that we are the only ones going thru difficulties. We are not. (Continued…)
Jose Padilla
posted 8/19/09 @ 5:17 PM PST
I enjoyed reading through this because it was a very interesting article. Life can be unpredictable, not implying that it is not, but there are times when predicting the basics of life, people, and cultures can also guide anyone to a successful life. (Continued…)
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