When talking about Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Mindset by Carol Dweck, it is truly a matter of perception as to whether the two books are more similar or more different. Regardless of the comparisons and contrasts between the two, it is obvious that certain crystal clear connections can be drawn between the two books. Both books relate to success and achieving it, however Gladwell and Dweck differ on how success is achieved. While Gladwell insists that success is almost entirely dependent on opportunities and luck (Gladwell 2008), Dweck argues that one has quite a bit of control over the amount of success one can achieve because all success relies on mindset (Dweck 2006).
Perhaps the basis of the two authors’ disagreement and differences lies in their very definition of the word success. Gladwell claims that success and how successful one is considered is largely dependent on society’s perception of success. Dweck, on the other hand, likes to think that success is what you make it. Even when it comes to the definition of success, both authors have such conflicting viewpoints. The largest contrast between the two authors is the differing opinions of who has the power to determine the definition of success. Who has control over the definition of success?
As much as I would like to believe that I have complete control over what I consider success and how successful I become, I don’t think I can say with complete confidence that this is true. I agree with Gladwell that success is largely dependent on opportunities that one is presented with in life. That is not to say that I am in complete disagreement with Dweck. In order to achieve success and remain successful, mindset and how one approaches a situation can have a great impact on the outcome and level of success. Both authors claim to have some evidence to back their claims but it cannot be clear whether the information or studies are biased or not. Therefore it makes it hard for me to be in complete agreement with either author. I believe that there is some truth in what each author is saying, but not all of what they’re saying is necessarily true either.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: the story of success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: the new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
I like how you tie in their own definitions to differentiate between their backing of success. I also enjoyed how you said they are both right, but they are also both wrong. Thats a good point. When it comes down to it, though, I think I'd be one to side with Dweck.
ReplyDeleteI think I would also side with Dweck. Gladwell's claims are interesting and the connections he draws are extremely shocking but I feel like his studies are a little biased. I'm not saying that everything Dweck did was totally free of bias but atleast her's deals with average people. I feel like I can relate to her book a lot more than Gladwell's.
ReplyDeleteDweck's book would be more relatable since it deals with the commonwealth as well as the superstars. I like how you explained each author's definition of success. I like your use of alliteration in the first paragraph "crystal clear connections". May have been by accident, but it's still has a ring to it. The alliteration emphasizes that there are some connections between the books. After all, Dweck does cite Gladwell in her book.
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