In his most recent bestseller, “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell examines the many different layers of success; how did the best of the best attain wealth, recognition, and happiness (not necessarily in that order) while doing something they generally enjoyed. How much did arbitrary advantages and disadvantages affect the success rate of these people and what had the biggest impact: these arbitrary aforementioned things or the many hours of hard work they put in? Gladwell has planted the many seeds needed for me, and anyone else interested, to properly evaluate their own success. Because of this, I will be applying Gladwell’s idea that all success is inevitably brought back to the arbitrary advantages and disadvantages in my life; how much of what
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For example, being born into generation Z; I was raised surrounded by technology and other huge improvements to society. According to Forbes, “With skyrocketing growth in biracial and minority populations, generation Z embraces multiculturalism as a touchstone of who they are, and this also informs their attitudes on social issue” (Scott, 2016). As a member of a minority racial group this means racism, while still an issue, is harder to come by in members of Generation Z; unfortunately, the oldest members of Generation Z are currently twenty year olds. This means my ability to get a job, without my race being an important factor, is still being determined by members of earlier generations. Earlier generations who have a lower diversity rate are the ones currently in control of politics and the economy. Fortunately, as a member of gen Z, we have the ability to surpass those of older generations who currently wield the power. Generation was born into the world surrounded by technology and being able to interact with it while growing up. Studying is accomplished quicker, and all the time that older generations spent looking through books for their answers has been cut from our lives. Generation Z has the ability to focus more solely on the honing of abilities and skills that make them happy; the same is …show more content…
I do not have the ability to spend every hour I am awake practicing to better myself in a skill, I do not have the ability to live comfortably without putting any effort into my life. For example, as a teenager, I must attend school. In addition to attending school, I have to do my homework, study for tests and quizzes, be on time, and worry about simultaneously juggling the possible relationships I am forming with the people around me. These are all important for different reasons as well: If I am not social, my high school life will undeniably be harder to bear, but if I do not put enough effort and time into understanding the class material, my high school life will be all the more difficult. Furthermore, I must have a steady job, as an adult, to ensure I have enough money to feed myself and pay bills, and because I still haven’t been able to fully hone a skill, this job is most likely not what I wish to do. I could gain wealth and recognition for that current job, but unless I learn to love the occupation I will have remained unsuccessful in life. Granted, if I was born into wealth the time spent worrying about having a sustainable job would be shorter and the time spent focusing on hobbies that reinforced my sense of happiness indefinitely longer; however, taking into account all of these necessary removals of my attention from the
For example, being born into generation Z; I was raised surrounded by technology and other huge improvements to society. According to Forbes, “With skyrocketing growth in biracial and minority populations, generation Z embraces multiculturalism as a touchstone of who they are, and this also informs their attitudes on social issue” (Scott, 2016). As a member of a minority racial group this means racism, while still an issue, is harder to come by in members of Generation Z; unfortunately, the oldest members of Generation Z are currently twenty year olds. This means my ability to get a job, without my race being an important factor, is still being determined by members of earlier generations. Earlier generations who have a lower diversity rate are the ones currently in control of politics and the economy. Fortunately, as a member of gen Z, we have the ability to surpass those of older generations who currently wield the power. Generation was born into the world surrounded by technology and being able to interact with it while growing up. Studying is accomplished quicker, and all the time that older generations spent looking through books for their answers has been cut from our lives. Generation Z has the ability to focus more solely on the honing of abilities and skills that make them happy; the same is …show more content…
I do not have the ability to spend every hour I am awake practicing to better myself in a skill, I do not have the ability to live comfortably without putting any effort into my life. For example, as a teenager, I must attend school. In addition to attending school, I have to do my homework, study for tests and quizzes, be on time, and worry about simultaneously juggling the possible relationships I am forming with the people around me. These are all important for different reasons as well: If I am not social, my high school life will undeniably be harder to bear, but if I do not put enough effort and time into understanding the class material, my high school life will be all the more difficult. Furthermore, I must have a steady job, as an adult, to ensure I have enough money to feed myself and pay bills, and because I still haven’t been able to fully hone a skill, this job is most likely not what I wish to do. I could gain wealth and recognition for that current job, but unless I learn to love the occupation I will have remained unsuccessful in life. Granted, if I was born into wealth the time spent worrying about having a sustainable job would be shorter and the time spent focusing on hobbies that reinforced my sense of happiness indefinitely longer; however, taking into account all of these necessary removals of my attention from the