Essay about Two Cheers for the Maligned Slacker Dude

From day one, middle-class merits are expected to do great things; they are expected to excel in school and sports, Brooks contends (194). He furthers this by saying that the activities that the middle-class participates in become the “bricks” of their identities (195). Brooks argues that character is not created in youth and just retained throughout life, but is built up gradually and people must struggle to maintain and improve throughout their lives (195). He moves his argument forward by talking about how society will reward these meritocrats (195, 196). Brooks believes that society is constantly praising these kids, and that this praise pushes them towards the realization that their success means nothing, unless they give back to society (196). He uses the example of a baseball player enjoying trips to clinics to share stories with the younger kids there (196). Brooks then moves into discussing the choices meritocrats must make later in life; he insists that some people can choose to be made famous because of looks or money (196). He says the other side of this, is to choose an opportunity more worthy of your time and others’ praise

The power of opportunity is emitted through the dark clouds of unique mystery that surrounds every successful individual. In the novel Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell discusses subjects pertaining to opportunity and legacy through the use of stories and analytical statistics. Consequently, he achieves credibility and support for his message, while simultaneously providing a more insightful approach to mysterious correlations that commonly occur. Within these correlations, the author implements an unusual predicament, then derives a powerful theme. For example, when discussing the birthdays of successful hockey players, Gladwell explains the significance behind the notion of seizing the day. He articulates the value found in people who are able to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities they are blessed to have as a result of circumstances; thus, disproving the popular idea that successful people are purely self-made. Gladwell closes out the section by discussing one’s opportunity. He states, “Their world- their culture and generation and family history- gave them the greatest of opportunities”(Gladwell 158). Furthermore, he bridges the novel together by

Due to the harsh reality uncovered in this chapter, society is able to see how hard it is to become successful, whether it is as a franchisee or starting a company on your own. At a success seminar Dave Feamster took his employees to, a paralyzed but still upbeat and motivational Christopher Reeve’s said, “Since my accident, I’ve been realizing … that success means something quite different” (Schlosser 107). Reeve’s is referencing the millions he made in his 20’s and that there may be more to success than that. “’I see people who achieve these conventional goals, he says … ‘None of it matters” (Schlosser 107). This is such a powerful moment in the chapter, Schlosser is supposed to be attending a motivational seminar and yet readers walk away from it wondering, at what point success worth it is. If this man who was famous and beloved by America says he thinks he is irrelevant, what about us? In this chapter readers see that big companies measure their success in money and profits, but how should society measure it’s? The public education system might measure success in graduates or students that go on to college. But the great thing about this chapter is Christopher Reeve’s challenges the way you measure your success and leaves that up to the audience’s interpretation.

Is it coincidental that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Bill Joy and a myriad of other multi-millionaires were all born within a span of 3 years? Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers, suspects that there is more behind this occurrence than just a simple coincidence. He asserts that there is no such thing as a self-made man and that success does not come from natural talent, rather it comes from extraordinary opportunities and hidden advantages. In Outliers, Gladwell attempts to debunk the myth that people are successful all because of themselves, However, Malcolm Gladwell recognizes that success is intangible without ardor and hard work. He synthesizes a coherent set of logical arguments, by discussing the advantages of birth dates, stating the

In many instances, those who are successful are made out to be some sort of separate breed, those who were innately able to perform remarkable feats that others, no matter how hard they tried, simply could not. Through this exhibition, many people view success as an elusive feature that only a select few can obtain. This theory is the main inspiration for Malcolm Gladwell’s exploration of success in Outliers: The Story of Success. In the book, Gladwell analyzes not only those who are successful, such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, J.R. Oppenheimer, and Joe Flom, but what path led them towards becoming exceptionally skilled. This extremely in-depth analysis of successfulness forms Gladwell’s layered theory of what creates success, and his attempt

Is it coincidental that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Bill Joy and many other multi-millionaires were all born within a span of 3 years? Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers, suspects that there is something more behind this occurrence than just a simple coincidence. He asserts that there is no such thing as a self-made man and success does not come from natural talent, rather it comes from extraordinary opportunities and hidden advantages. In Outliers, Gladwell attempts to debunk the myth that people are successful because of themselves, and not because of other factors. Even Malcolm Gladwell acknowledges that passion and hard work are required to succeed. However, he believes that this passion and time to put in the work would not be possible without the aid of extraordinary opportunities. Gladwell prepares a firm set of logical arguments, including the advantages of birth dates, cultural legacy and family backgrounds, to guarantee that his audience will be convinced of his conviction.

Becoming successful is what most people aspire to be. Most people fantasize the dream house, car, and having the dream job. Even though success is viewed so highly, not everyone can be successful. Malcolm Gladwell explains that idea throughout his book Outliers. Gladwell’s chapters contain endless amounts of evidence that support his claims exceptionally well. But, Michiko Kakutani, a critic for New York Times, exposes Gladwell’s evidence as unreliable and unconvincing, and upon further research, Gladwell’s faults grew deeper. Even though Gladwell provides an extensive amount of evidence, that evidence is one-sided and relies on suggestion.

Everyone aims to fulfill the American Dream, achieving prosperity through hard work. Society loves the ideology that anyone can become successful and that we all have the same opportunities and chance of success, if enough work is applied. With this ideal, people can blame their failure on not working hard enough or having an adverse life. However, Malcolm Gladwell sees success in contrast to the common people. Gladwell believes that success is mainly caused by having the right opportunity and circumstances rather than by working hard. David Karp, founder of the international social networking site Tumblr, is an individual who embodies Gladwell’s phenomenon by having extended advantages that were rare among his peers and having a supportive, relatable lineage that not only lead him to success, but also makes him an Outlier.

However, the sources differed immensely through the use of language. In fact, one of the themes most evident amongst the language that set the sources apart rhetorically was the tone. Throughout the article “Blue-Collar Brilliance,” Mike Rose set a very serious tone discussing the matter of economic inequality. For example, Rose conveys “As a foreman, Joe constantly faced new problems and became a constant multi-tasker, evaluation a flurry of demands quickly, parceling out physical and mental resources, keeping a number of ongoing events in his mind, returning to whatever task had been interrupted, and maintain a cool head under the pressure of grueling production schedules” (1037). As Rose portrays the life of a Foreman, he keeps a very serious tone to convey to the audience how real these struggles are. Although Joe may have not received a formal education passed middle school, he still has to work efficiently and intelligently in his own manner. At the same

In this day and age, the future of the world remains contingent on the success of youth. To expound further, the youth remains the beacon of tomorrow. As older generations age, millennials have begun to take their place. In particular, Sawyer Howitt currently stands as one of his generation's rising stars. To expound further, Sawyer Howitt remains an extremely busy young man from Portland, Oregon. Throughout his life, he has taken leadership roles at a young age. In addition, Sawyer Howitt remains part of an entrepreneurial family. In fact, his father remains the owner of Meriweather Group. Currently, Sawyer Howitt works as the project manager for the company.

Brett is the picture perfect image of the post-war generation transformation of values in relation to gender. In the roaring twenties, Brett embraces her freedom; she is the typical roaring twenties lady, with a boyish haircut, and both the drinking and sexual promiscuity of a man. Her infatuation with money and her interaction with money and other values is interesting, as she interacts indirectly through means of drinks, meals, clothing articles, trips, and sexual affairs. What makes Brett most interesting is that she herself is a value amongst men, giving her body, companionship, and friendship to Jake, Mike, and her many suitors. As the theme of the importance of money continues, some may wonder how Brett is included in such a money-thirsty group when she herself doesn’t spend much of a dime; this is because her primary man,

With the new digital age being introduced, it meant that job wages were going down while uncertainties about employment stability and opportunities were going up (136). An example that Sender uses to reinforce the connection between the straight men becoming better citizens and the flexible capitalism is when Ted, one of the Fab Five experts on the show, teaches one of the candidates how to select wine and recommend dishes based on a professional standpoint (145). The reason that this connects to flexible capitalism is because success in the business industry nowadays depends less on skills related directly to the job and more on how one has created a work ethic that relates to self-presentation (145). When Sender is discussing the connection between becoming a better self monitoring citizen and inadequate consumption she is referring to how the candidates often come up short when it comes to categories such as domestic and romantic tasks (140). In one of the episodes, the focus is put upon trying to turn a candidate into a person with “romantic marketability”

Richard’s entire career depends on a pending book contract centered on his nine-point program for success, he wants to get rich and famous, but ironically, the program for success is a failure, and he is a ‘nobody’, which makes the book deal fell through. Even though his dreams have crumbled, Richard still has the firm belief, as he says to his family after Grandpa’s death, that “There's two kinds of people in the world; winners and losers. And what's the difference? Winners don't give up. ”(Arndt 66.).

Throughout the course of professor Lowenkrons’ English 1013 class, we have analyzed many examples of success. We concluded in the first essay that though success is subjective, there are objective keys to success that each source used to achieve it. In the second essay, we studied the career of the successful alternative rock band, Pearl Jam and the different ways they achieved and maintained their success. In this last essay, we are going to focus on what it means to be part of a community of successful people. A successful community benefits an individual in two ways. They help by evolving the mindsets of others and offering support to overcome challenges. (Cracked.com) (Business Insider) (Music.avclub.com) (Rolling Stone) (Childhood Reading)

In the article “The Go-Nowhere Generation,” the Buchholzes argue that the present generation of youths has taken a turn for the worse, losing the sense of spirit that were once synonymous with people of their age and settling for meager jobs in their hometowns instead. The target audience of “The Go-Nowhere Generation” is educated older adults and parents, who are most likely to share the authors’ views. The authors implement a series of comparisons, which include statistics and descriptions, between the past and present generation of young adults to illustrate their position. However, though the authors make several valid points that are supported by solid evidence, the article falls short of being truly convincing due to its narrow views