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Did you make your own success? Or did you have help?

Malcom Gladwell's book, Outliers, indicates that successful people are not necessarily smarter than everyone else. Instead, success is heavily dependent on two factors: hard work, and environment.

Gladwell: My wish with Outliers is that it makes us understand how much of a group project success is. When outliers become outliers it is not just because of their own efforts. It's because of the contributions of lots of different people and lots of different circumstances— and that means that we, as a society, have more control about who succeeds—and how many of us succeed—than we think. That's an amazingly hopeful and uplifting idea.

If Gladwell is correct, then we as a society are putting far too much emphasis on the "self made man." In fact, he indicates that America is largely blind to role that communities play in the success of individuals. So what do you think? Is success an individual or a team sport? Share your thoughts here

Tags: gladwell, malcolm, outliers

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen James on June 15, 2009 at 9:10am

I definitely have been helped by others. That's how you learn--by asking questions and being curious. I read highlights from over 100 blog feeds every day. I don't care for the connotation of "self-made," that is "autonomous." I do have to mention though that I have had very little formal training in interactive design, and so the majority of what I have learned is due to my curiosity and ambition, but the resources and mentoring have been from other people. I try not to re-invent the entire wheel on each project.

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Permalink Reply by Devi Multimedia on June 15, 2009 at 9:13am

I am highly influenced by my environment in good/bad from society, strangers, loved ones, wildlife, nature... I try to adopt small/large qualities to create my own. I believe the "team" is a huge factor of influence but at the end of the day, your "success" is a result of your action.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Hall on June 15, 2009 at 9:15am

Never give up, never surrender

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Permalink Reply by Doug Vann on June 15, 2009 at 10:59am

Dan,
I second that!
Never wait for the government to do for you what you can do for yourself! Tap into the flow of networking and support and start taking chances!
"Never give up, never surrender"
That will be my anthem for the week!
THANKS for posting it!

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Permalink Reply by Greg Phelps on June 15, 2009 at 9:15am

I wouldn’t be in this business today if it weren’t for a networking opportunity between friends.
I wouldn’t have learned how to sell to this industry if it weren’t for the coaching from a former boss.
I wouldn’t have learned how to run a business if it weren’t for the lessons I’ve learned from successful business owners/friends.
Our client base is a mix of accounts landed through cold calling and networking.
Networking is help.

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Permalink Reply by David Shank on June 15, 2009 at 9:23am

Pat and all smallerindianians,

The 'self-made man/woman" is an exercise in futile arrogance and narcissism. We all are influenced by those around us. As Gladwell suggests later in the book, we pick up cues, signals, and habits nearly subliminally that affect our thinking, behavior and attitudes. We learn from our parents, brothers and sisters and all relatives what to do or not do...we learn from career experiences what to do or not to do. We learn from observing people on subways, or in Indianapolis, on 465, behaviors.

There are some of us who have been fortunate enough to have had a variety of mentors from whom we learn much about life and how to be a productive, honest, ethical, loving and fun person!

The self-made biological specimen could only be tested if it were created in isolation with no interaction with any kind of living organism...no sand crabs or ants or birds. Boy, does that sound boring!

David Shank

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Permalink Reply by Charles Calvin Deppert on June 15, 2009 at 9:26am

I would say a little bit of both...I took the initial set but most of my success in life came with much help from others who instructed, pushed and helped me at key times in my life. No one gets anywhere alone.

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Permalink Reply by Bart Fisher on June 15, 2009 at 9:27am

The motiviation to succeed comes from an individual. We each make our own opportunities and as others see us grow, they influence our experience based upon their own motivation. "Society" does not promote one individual over another. Individuals determine success and that success becomes a block of society.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Atkin on June 15, 2009 at 9:33am

I think everyone has help in one way or another. All of my "successes" have involved others on some level. I think it is naive to think you can make it today's world without the help of others. I do think it is easy to make assumptions about how one achieved success based on what the media tells us, what we see, etc.. Take Tiger Woods. He was raised to be a golfer, period. He was on national television at the age 2-3 hitting golf shots (I think it was the Ed Sullivan show). He had the best teacher(s), access to the best courses, and played the in the best tournaments from a very young age. In the end, he has to hit the shot, so his "in the moment" successes are his alone, but when you look at his career overall, he had the opportunities provided to him by those around him (and he made the most of them). Life is all about opportunities. What we do with those opportunities is another question though

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Permalink Reply by David A Wachtel on June 15, 2009 at 2:05pm

Good analogy...however Tiger has rebuilt his golf swing from the ground up three times since he's been on Tour. The point?
Even if you are the best at what you do, someone is working to pass you by so you never stop learning or working to get better.
My nephew is a Purdue swimmer and four time Indiana high school state champion is the 100 and 200 freestyle. He used to have this little note at home dealing with, "you swam five miles today...you competition swam 10..."
Last, on Woods...I was listening to a sports "talking head" a couple of weeks ago rambling on about how Tiger might not even make the cut at the US Open he's playing so badly...Looks like the win at the Memorial sent a messaage to everyone. The best have another gear they can go to when they need it.

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Permalink Reply by anne davis on June 15, 2009 at 9:43am

as this is the business book club chosen book..would be interested in all comments and hope that all will attend this discussion in mid July. I have posted other discussion questions regarding this book.

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Permalink Reply by Marty posch on June 15, 2009 at 10:14am

The book does not say that there is a community that produces successful people. That is not its point at all so strike that from the argument. I am very successful because I have taken cues, learned from mentors, learned in school, applied things I have learned from people to my own career and passions. Collaboration is the key to success for me. Someone that says " I am self made" has had no help from others?

Saying self made man is an arrogant statement.