Malcolm Gladwell – A Journey of 100 Steps
5 min read ⌚
Every once in awhile, we all need a special friend to guide us when things get rough.
Fear no more, because where there is a will, there is a way, and Malcolm sure knows the route to peacefulness.
Who is Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell is renowned for his ability to write life-altering books that are accepted by various profiles of people. Although we are not going to expand on his life-journey, there are a few milestones that are worth mentioning.
He was born on September 3rd, 1963 in Fareham. Over the years he managed to reach a status of being one of the best writers in the world.
Known for his psychological perspective, he quickly started to share his practical ideas, which helped millions.
From very young age, Malcolm had no intentions of trying to fit into the community, instead, he developed a single-minded mentality. Such orientation enabled him to perceive the world impartially, and draw conclusions.
Many people are curious – Who ignited that passion for the written word in him? – Well, according to Malcolm’s testimonies, that was his mother. From an early age, he excelled at writing and demonstrated a flair for sharing his ideas on a piece of paper with the rest of the world.
So far, Malcolm wrote five books that really are a powerful force of the highest order against the conservative mindset. Perhaps, the core of his writing, serve as an embodiment of full transformation.
We will briefly summarize the best Malcolm Gladwell books, and further, illustrate their impact with quality examples.
Even though it’s irrelevant, we are big fans of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, not only because of their uniqueness but because they thrive on expanding the understanding of life and spread tolerance.
Indeed, it’s not easy to pick the Top Malcolm Gladwell books, since all of them are widely accepted by the audience. Before we unveil our list, we would like to invite you to consider joining us in our endeavor to provide quick summaries for the world and stimulate innovative ideas.
The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world.
Best Malcolm Gladwell Books
#1. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
According to many, this is the best of Malcolm Gladwell – “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” that focuses mostly on the unconscious part of our existence and how different people are affected by it.
Malcolm also examines how certain events and past-experience influence our decision-making and why people are prone to snap judgments.
You can find numerous examples that validate this claim such as the one concerning the psychologist John Gottman’s research; a study that assessed the likelihood of divorce.
When asked – What motivated him (Gladwell) to write this exceptional book? – He replied: My hair. Malcolm Gladwell realized that when he had a long hair, he ran into trouble more often.
This claim was later confirmed when the police issued several tickets delivered to his address for speeding.
Many are still not too convinced, but Malcolm even said that once he was pulled off the waiting line to be detailly examined at the airport by the security, only because he had a long hair.
We have, as human beings, a storytelling problem. We’re a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don’t really have an explanation for.
#2. Outliers: The Story of Success
“Outliers,” on the other hand, puts more effort into understanding what is driving us forward.
Motivation is critical to reaching new heights and lacking a real source of inspiration can be destructive.
This attitude in correlation with your ability to pursue success defines the chances of living the life of your dreams.
Gladwell questions all those corrupt systems within a country and challenges the officials to provide the citizens with a real explanation, of what’s happening.
Malcolm even states that – he met numerous ambitious and intelligent individuals that don’t worth $70 billion – referring to Bill Gates’s mysterious fortune.
This book gives you an opportunity to take a peek and see with your own eyes that you have been deceived.
Likewise, even success it’s not concerned only with your know-how, but it other external factors can either speed up or suffocate your progress – depending on the game the world is playing.
Perhaps, it’s best if you stick to the usual formula leading to success that is composed of hard work, dedication, talent, and mental capacities.
Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.
#3. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
Malcolm draws inspiration from the legendary battle that occurred many years ago on the territory of today’s Palestine. Probably, we all have heard the story, but let’s dive more into it, try to clarify the point and why this legend continues to echo through time.
Generally speaking, most of the world perceives this battle story as some motivational boost or inspirational spark that is carved into the mind of many people, while others believe in its trustworthiness.
Regardless of your opinion, the bottom line is that anyone can exceed all expectations and defy the odds. The moral of the story is tightly linked with the human nature, and how our ancestors used to find that inner strength in tough to handle situations.
If your chances of victory in any realm are insignificant and almost impossible, you should recall the “David and Goliath” example and follow this mentality to ultimate achievement.
However, if you are too weak to find that strength, perhaps you can give your best shot, and never regret anything.
At the end of the day, the only thing that counts is – Are you pleased with your efforts, or somewhere deep, beneath all superficial elements, you know that you could have put up a better performance?!
Those three things – autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward – are, most people will agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.
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“Malcolm Gladwell Quotes”
The best example of how impossible it will be for Major League Baseball to crack down on steroids is the fact that baseball and the media are still talking about the problem as steroids. Click To Tweet The fact of being an underdog changes people in ways that we often fail to appreciate. It opens doors and creates opportunities and enlightens and permits things that might otherwise have seemed unthinkable. Click To Tweet We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of examples where the exact opposite happens, where the weak win and the strong screw up. Click To Tweet Consistency is the most overrated of all human virtues... I'm someone who changes his mind all the time. Click To Tweet Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds. Click To TweetFinal Notes:
We hope that our short intro of these masterpieces, will ignite you and give you something to think about.
These insights provided for this purpose, merely serve as a reminder that anything in life is possible with the right set of tools and mental strength.
Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.
