Opportunity is the key to Success “And that opportunity played a critical role in their success” (30 Gladwell). Many times, people will argue that if you want something, you can achieve it simply through hard work; however, that is not always the case. In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, he explains the significant amount of opportunities that successful people are given. Gladwell uses the example of Joe Flom to explain how timing is a huge factor in success.
Early in his career, he was declined by a huge law firm, and had to settle for a firm that was just starting out. Even though this seems like a disadvantage, it turned into an opportunity because the new law firm turned out to grow into one of the best. Another example used in Outliers would be Bill Gates because he had the opportunity to practice his computer coding skills due to the great resources he had. Opportunity also plays a role in the example Gladwell uses about the children of low and high class families.
The lifestyle and skills taught to a child aids in their success later in life. Success depends more on opportunity because being in the right place at the right time, having the ability to practice, and where you come from all contribute to success. First and foremost, there is a much higher chance of becoming successful if a person is in the right place at the right time. For example, in Outliers, there is a story about a man named Joe Flom. On page 128, Gladwell states, “Then the world changed and he was ready.
He didn’t triumph over adversity. Instead, what started out as adversity ended up being an opportunity. ” Basically, if Flom had been accepted into the other law firm, he would not have reached such high levels of success. Thus, Joe Flom joined the right law firm at the right time, providing him with amazing opportunities which led to his success. Similarly, Steve Jobs is a more famous example of being in the right place at the right time. Jobs attended Homestead High School, which introduced him to the co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak.
If he had never met Steve Wozniak, the two of them would’ve never started Apple. Steve Jobs himself said that opportunity played a huge role in his success when he said in 1994, “I feel incredibly lucky to be exactly at the right place in Silicon Valley at exactly the right time historically where this invention (computers] has taken form. ” Jobs explains how during that time, people were excited about the new invention of a personal computer. If Jobs had been alive at a different time or lived in a different place, he wouldn’t be as successful as he was.
Overall, timing has everything to do with success because the opportunities crea are the reason people get so far ahead in the world. Furthermore, successful people are given the opportunity to practice their abilities and ultimately become a master in their field. Practice is vital in gaining success because it allows a person to become the best of their ability. One of the examples that Gladwell uses would be Bill Gates because he was provided with the technology to practice computer programming.
On page 55, Gladwell presents a quote from Bill Gates himself that reads, “I had a better exposure to software development at a young age than I think anyone did in that period of time, and all because of an incredibly lucky series of events. ” Gates is describing how the opportunities he was given overall impacted his success. If Gates hadn’t been exposed to a rare time-sharing terminal or unlimited computer access, he would not have had as much practice as needed for his success. A personal example of this would be my cousin.
Although he is only 18, he is on his way to success due to the amount of practice he puts into computer programming and designing. He has the ability to practice his skills because he spends all of his free time working with computers, he took high school courses dedicated to computers, and he has spent months completing his very own video game. He now practices his skills at Digipen, a school dedicated to computer game development. This great opportunity allows him all of the time he needs to practice doing what he loves, which will one day contribute to his success.
It is rare opportunities like these that allow a person to become successful. Overall, success can be achieved through countless hours of practice; however, it is the opportunities presented that allow a person the ability to get the hours of practice. Lastly, the opportunity of being born into a good family directly relates to success. If a child is taught encouraging skills, they are better off as they grow up. In Outliers, children of wealthy and poor families are compared to show how the wealthier child is geared towards success.
It is not the fact that the child is born into wealth, but the fact that the parents taught the child skills needed to gain success. Gladwell writes on page 108 that “The sense of entitlement that he has been taught is an attitude perfectly suited to succeeding in the modern world. ” Meaning, that the reason why this child is more likely to succeed is because of the skills he was taught. Similarly, a successful family friend of mine would not be where she is today if she were not born into the family she is in. Her family has provided her with the support and skills she needs to become a famous singer.
They have supported her from the time that she was doing drama plays, until now, as she has very popular songs on Spotify and iTunes. She was born into wealth, which has provided her with many opportunities that others do not have. For example, her family has the ability to pay for the advertisement and production of her music. Also, if she hadn’t been born into this family, she might have never gained her fame from X-Factor. From being on this show, she had to fly to many destinations and also had to try out several times to finally make it to the last round of tryouts.
Obviously, this can get very expensive and erve-wracking, which is why it was great that she has such a supportive family. If she hadn’t been born into this family, she might not have become famous. From growing up around successful parents, she has learned the traits needed for success. All in all, people who are born into better opportunities have the advantage when it comes to achieving success. Ultimately, the opportunities of being in the right moment, getting tons of practice, and being born in the right place play a huge role in obtaining success. Having the opportunity to be in the right moment is a huge advantage.
Also, the opportunity of having the resources and time to practice for 10,000 hours makes a huge difference in success rates. Being born into the right family can shape children into being prepared for success in the world. Although individual merit can help a person become successful, opportunity plays a bigger role because without opportunities everyone could become successful just through hard work. In Outliers, Gladwell presents how we can use these opportunities to our advantage, and learn to become successful. Hopefully, one day everyone will learn to look for the amazing opportunities and gain success.
