Success is Not for the Lucky, but the Brave; Jarrod Stein's response to Outliers

Individual Merit. These two words struck me as I read through Outliers. As stated by Malcolm Gladwell, those who have talent will be found; and if you are willing to work to develop ability, the system will reward you. When reading this over time after time, I couldn’t help but think about how well this defines my personal philosophy, in which both words of “individual merit” are equally important. Individuals make best of their situation, the situation doesn’t make them. People do not rise from nothing. Of course people rise from differing backgrounds, situations, ideals, etc., but no one comes from nothing. Society is a system, and like all systems, there are hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities. The examples Gladwell provides associate age with placement in a system. In hockey, for example, some players have extra maturity based solely on the defined age cutoff. However, the more mature kids are bigger and more coordinated, receiving better coaching, better teammates, and a longer, more productive, experienced season compared to those who are not chosen for the rep squad. And this brings me to my favorite part of Outliers: 10,000 hours.

What exactly does 10,000 hours mean? It means that nothing is free. No one decides they’re going to master any skill and does so without hard work. It takes 10,000 hours of dedication, work, and sometimes even suffering to achieve a level of mastery. Any story of success rises from 10,000 hours, not nothing. Age, experience, and background are irrelevant. Work is the root of success. As a result of work, opportunity will arise. In the case of Bill Gates, he worked hard simply because he enjoyed it. When his work was recognized, as all hard work eventually is, opportunity arose. Seizing opportunity, committing to something greater than personal work, devoting oneself to their work and passion are what make success. Many success stories involve luck. Dumb luck, blind luck, whatever you want to call it, most successful people are said to have gotten lucky at some turning point in their lives. However, what’s to say that everyone has this opportunity? Sometimes, people miss it. Whether it’s a busy time in one’s life or the opportunity isn’t seen as everything it could be, opportunity is missed. Those who have achieved success have made “incredibly lucky” worthwhile. As stated by Gladwell, what truly distinguishes their histories is not their extraordinary talent but their understanding of what good fortune is. Success stories are those in which people are given a special opportunity to work super hard and seized it. We are responsible for our own success. 10,000 hours.