Outliers Argumentative CAP

• (Chapter 2: The 10,000 Hour Rule) “...But there was a particular, narrow nine-year window that was just perfect for seeing the potential that the future held. All of the fourteen men and women on the list above had vision and talent. But they also were given an extraordinary opportunity, in the same way that hockey and soccer players born in January, February, and March are given an extraordinary opportunity.” (Gladwell, 62-63)

• (Chapter 4: The Trouble With Geniuses Part 2) “...This is the advantage that Oppenheimer had and that Chris Langan lacked. Oppenheimer was raised in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Manhattan, the son of an artist and a successful garment manufacturer. His childhood was the embodiment of concerted cultivation.” (Gladwell 108)

• (Chapter 5: The Three Lessons of Joe Flom) “...and everything we've learned so far from hockey players and software billionaires and the Termites suggests that success doesn't happen that way. Successful people don't do it alone. Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments. ” (Gladwell 119)

(Evidence 1)

In the list of the 75 wealthiest people in history (in 2008), 14 were Americans. These Americans were born near the same time in the 1800s, but how did that make them successful? Their intelligence was a significant factor in their success, but the main factor was the advantages they saw and took hold of. Each of the 14 Americans was born when the economy was taking a massive shift, and there were new opportunities people had not taken advantage of, so these people decided to grasp and hold firmly. You cannot do that now because of the corporate powerhouses that rule the market. It has already been done, and it has been done the best. Therefore, you cannot take advantage of it.

(Evidence 2)

Oppenheimer and Chris Langan are brilliant individuals, but one is much more successful than the other. Why? It is all about what they were born into. Oppenheimer was born into a wealthy family with successful parents and a whole life ahead of him with access to any road he wanted to go down. However, Langan was born into a family of poverty, with a dad who was always drunk and beating him and his brothers, and had minimal access to any opportunity. Because of the stark contrast between the two and what they were born into, one was far more successful than the other because they had unlimited access to anything they needed to succeed. However, the other failed despite their intelligence because of their predetermined restraints, such as a lack of access to quality education and a supportive family environment.

(Evidence 3)

Where people come from is the most significant factor in their success. This piece of evidence, where Gladwell explicitly states this, is why I believe it is. It does not matter if you are a superintelligent human with computational power beyond that of a computer; you will not be successful if you are unlucky with the family you are born into or you do not have opportunities to be successful. Even if someone were more intelligent than Chris Langan, if they had grown up in the same environment he did, they would have been equally successful as Langan.

“Even with high intellectual capabilities, lack of access to education and foundational support can significantly inhibit an individual’s success.”

(Ethos)

A respected author, Malcolm Gladwell, uses extensive research and real-life examples, like Oppenheimer, to back his claim that background and opportunity are key to success.

(Logos)

The contrast between Chris Langan's struggles and Oppenheimer's privilege invokes empathy, which shows the unfairness of opportunity and societal inequalities.

(Pathos)

Gladwell provides logical reasoning supported by evidence, showing that success is tied more to environment and opportunity than intelligence.

(Counterargument & Rebuttal)

Some say that the 10,000-hour rule contributes the most to becoming an outlier; however, where and when you are born, and opportunities are the two most significant factors because if you do not have the opportunity to get 10,000 hours, you will not be able to have the expertise that comes with it. Furthermore, if you are born into a lousy family, even if you get 10,000 hours, your likelihood of success is still slim because of the enormous barrier you would have to overcome.

(Call-to-action)

Understand that backgrounds and opportunities affect our success like nothing else. Speak up for fairness and ensure everyone has the same chance to succeed, no matter where they come from.