What really counts when measuring success

It's Down to This

By: Kimberly Tsao

Posted: 5/13/09

I'm in the second grade, and my teacher is handing out forms.

"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.

It may be hard to imagine unless you've been raised in a similar environment, but it happens more often than you think.

I never felt the need to say whatever's on my mind all the time.

Yes, in order to prevent accidents, silence may be dumb, but any other time, it's called respect or even tact. Most Americans may call it brutal honesty, but other cultures would just call it rude, since I'm being honest and all.

Here's nothing but the truth: I don't agree with everything Gladwell writes. First, success is relative. Second, life is unpredictable.

"Outliers" declares success is dependent on what your parents do for a living.

Jewish immigrants highlight this theory because they successfully developed skills in certain trades, which their children and their children's children will be able to benefit from.

The writer also emphasizes that no one gets to the top alone. They must have had help from family, friends or even strangers.

Not true.

Not everyone has or needs someone to turn to: People have clawed their way out of rock bottom all on their own. They've tasted success through their own hard work, self-belief and sacrifices.

Sometimes, no one else can take credit for your college degree, job promotion or golden anniversary.

Even if you stumble, try to enjoy your failures because relatively speaking, your shortcomings could be your success.