Activity 7.5

Although it was interesting that Gladwell (2008) referred to success as a “gift” (p. 267) and may not believe in a “recipe” for success, I believe it is possible to have a recipe for success. Similar to Gladwell, I would agree that success is not centered on ability, talent, or some other abstract ideas that are difficult to define, but the recipe would include key ingredients such as: creating and embracing opportunities, putting forth adequate effort, and possessing a desire that will motivate individuals to persist and work hard. Even though when some individuals think of a recipe they think of a set of rules that have to be followed in order to produce a desired product; it is important to acknowledge that alterations and changes can be made to the recipe to cater to each individual’s acquired taste.  Therefore, I believe it comes down to how individuals interpret success. As long as individuals have access to and possess those key components, they can add whatever other qualities or “ingredients” to the mix in order to produce a product they consider successful.

In the video, Gladwell makes a claim that individuals are not naturally motivated and they have to see that there work can receive a reward, which seems to parallel with aspects of Behaviorism. Gladwell’s view is also consistent with Constructivism. For instance, Bruner and Vygotsky spoke on the importance of culture in learning. Vygotsky emphasized that “Human learning cannot be understood independent of the social, historical, and cultural forces that influence individuals.” In his book, The Outlier, Gladwell paints a wonderful picture of how culture and cultural legacy shape individuals, their habits, and the opportunities they are exposed to. Furthermore, in his talk with Dan Pink, Gladwell claims “you must go back into history if you want to understand people’s success.” In addition to the role of culture fitting into the social cognitive framework, Gladwell discusses factors such as “being a beneficiary of lucky breaks” and the importance of persistence and effort, which also aligns with social cognitive theory.

One of Gladwell’s main points is that culture and cultural legacy can be very influential to shaping individuals’ mindset and behavior. Gladwell's second point is that success comes to those who have been given an opportunity and make great use of their opportunity through effort, persistence, and hard work. In both cases, I agree that Gladwell is correct. Whatever individuals witness within their environment or cultures, whether it is good or bad, will influence how they behave, their work ethic, their mindset, and the beliefs they will hold about themselves and the world around them. Furthermore, providing individuals with opportunities to foster success and showing them that hard work will always pay off will encourage individuals to reach for their full potential.