Parenting styles and the environment in which they are surrounded by matter. In the Outliers, Chris Langan is the oldest of four sons (each with different fathers) and his father disappeared before he was born. His mother was married four times, the last one she married was the only one still alive. Chris Langan and his family were very much in the lower end of the working and poor class. He acted as a father figure to his siblings because they lacked that authority and needed someone to keep them in line. He also had to get jobs so he could contribute to paying the rent. When he spoke about his decision to attend Reed College, where he received a full scholarship, he thought it was a big mistake because it was a whole different lifestyle than
