Introduction
There are many ways that authors use in their works to convince a reader of their purpose and stance. According to Aristotle, a speaker’s capacity to persuade an audience depends on how well they talk to them in the three different domains of pathos, ethos, and logos (Goldin). These invocations constitute what later rhetoricians have referred to as the rhetorical triangle when combined. Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, which was later retitled Success Stories, makes an effort to explain why some individuals might be more successful than others. Gladwell’s argument about the origins of success is not persuasive, because his argumentation is vague, and the supportive literature is simplified for the author’s goals.
Main body
Malcolm Gladwell explores several noticeable facets of the lives of the most successful, famous, and smart people. Gladwell’s argument about the role of opportunity and legacy in success is that a person’s ability differs depending on the parents and the level of education (Gladwell). The same argument applies to legacy, which, according to the author, plays one of the decisive roles in the formation of success (Gladwell). Although one person may be wiser than another, opportunity and legacy play a decisive role in whether a person achieves success in life. Gladwell’s argument is not persuasive, despite the examples of people whose chances of success were justified by legacy and opportunity, because he is claiming that the combination of the two factors is sufficient for success.
The ability of Gladwell to engage the reader by making challenging concepts more understandable is the book’s most amazing feature. According to Aristotle, a speaker’s capacity to persuade an audience depends on how effectively they address that audience (Goldin). An example of using ethos is the coverage of a variety of sociology study articles. The author’s ethos also emphasizes the important topic of equality, which is covered to address the mass audience (Gladwell). The popularity of the concepts in the book and the strong sales demonstrated the persuasiveness of his writing to a sizable audience, many of whom frequently choose to disregard criticism of the book from outside sources.
Gladwell examines the social and cultural difficulties in which he disregarded those who were more evolved than others throughout the whole book. Using logos, Gladwell attempts to bring his argument to a certain logical flow and build a foundation for further development. The example of logos in the book suggests that success is a quality that is more influenced by outside forces than by internal qualities (Gladwell). The author uses an example of logos in providing a story of a successful individual like Bill Gates to illustrate how success may be influenced by things like a person’s date of birth (Gladwell). This book also makes an effort to provide answers to a variety of queries, such as why Asians are excellent mathematicians and why the most intelligent person in the world would be the one with the least accomplishment (Gladwell). This becomes a logical basis for Gladwell and his position on success.
This book asserts that persons who have achieved outstanding outcomes typically live lives based on particular patterns. An example of using logos to convince the audience is in contending that every true story of success is unique, and if someone is curious about what a particular person has achieved, they should consider their location of birth, and the time of day they were born (Gladwell). He also presents an intriguing and confronting method to maximize the potential of the individual to unearth the hidden significance. To address the topic of what may lead to success, Gladwell examined scientific data together with anecdotal evidence from personal success tales. This becomes another example of employing logos in building the argument of the author.
The central topic in Outliers is what constitutes success, which is a great subject, and the book does a good job of addressing it. It is disappointing, nevertheless, that the book does not go into further detail on what success entails and what must be done to obtain it. The author’s main pathetic point is that while many people have achieved success, there are still many more who have not. Outliers, according to Gladwell, are outstanding people who are intelligent, affluent, and successful yet do not fit into our conventional definitions of success (Gladwell). This is another example of the usage of pathos to convince the audience of people who may decide to read the book to find the explanation for their unsuccess. While the pathos of the author’s statement is convincing to the reader, there is a clear lack of substantial evidence to prove his point.
The author has made an effort to categorize his assertions that success may be attained via predetermined factors. According to Gladwell, opportunity, the appropriate moment, upbringing, effort, meaningful work, and legacy are the primary aspects that define a person’s success (Gladwell). Such an explanation is also aimed at the mass audience, the author is trying to convey his pathetic message. Another example of pathos is his argument about the fact that being born at the proper moment is undoubtedly a factor that can contribute to a person’s success. Gladwell contends that basic characteristics like a person’s birth month might determine his level of success in life (Gladwell). Thus, the author asserts that success is based on established variables that can be determined by categorization.
In the book, Gladwell makes a case for the 10,000-hour rule. Although 10,000 hours may seem like a long time to realize a person’s potential, perseverance will eventually pay off (Gladwell). While persuading the readers, Gladwell uses logos again to convey his message. Gladwell came up with the 10,000-hour rule by comparing and contrasting the historical eras and periods that were typical of certain lucky people, which is an example of logical proving. Another example of using logos is the conclusion that notable individuals born in the middle of the 19th century made great contributions since the period of active industrialization and invention provided numerous possibilities for personal growth (Gladwell). Moreover, Gladwell claims that this amount of time can be enough to become successful if properly used. Hence, a person would undoubtedly have a greater chance of success if they had the opportunity to implement the 10,000-hour rule from a young age.
The author’s usage of the ethos, logos, and pathos principles from Aristotle was highly compelling and engaging. Gladwell succeeds in persuading the reader that there is a certain moment in birth that determines whether or not a person will be successful. Nonetheless, the argument is highly lacking in any particular factors, despite the intriguing notion and the sensible use of ethos, pathos, and logos. Its applicability to all people raises doubts about its validity. For example, the author claims that success would undoubtedly depend in part on chance, but there is no way to prove that luck favors certain possibilities in a given month or season of the year. In this regard, it is crucial to take into account additional factors like having the chance, to work hard and never giving up on everything one accomplishes. Another unconvincing example is underlying the particular time framework of 10,000 hours (Gladwell). This brings attention to the lack of clear argumentation within the author’s ideas.
The possibilities are one of the key topics discussed in Outliers that contributed to the success. It is likely true that chances were offered to different people from case studies that helped them succeed. However, possibilities must be taken advantage of, which includes taking a calculated risk. Within this context, the impact of connections on achievement is briefly mentioned in the book. For example, the book pays little attention to relationships, while people and relationships are really important constituents of real success (Gladwell). Another example of vague argumentation is the oversimplified and generalized research that the book is based on. When one approaches it with a critical eye, many logical issues stand out. The number of research included in the book is relatively unsubstantial to draw firm conclusions, and the authors of the studies have acknowledged that the author misconstrued their work to support his viewpoint. Gladwell frequently concludes with little or no supporting evidence because of circumstantial and anecdotal information that gives the impression that it is more substantial than it is.
Conclusion
It is impossible to understate the Outliers’ appeal upon the time it was published. Gladwell’s writing style and the intriguing concepts he explored captured the attention of his readers. The majority of Gladwell’s views are well-backed by examples from everyday life, making the book a strong argument for the readers. The examples Gladwell provides of excellent people with undeniable success, like Bill Gates, show how successful people can be. The book’s credibility is damaged by the lack of appropriate supporting data and the oversimplification of its arguments. Gladwell’s claim on the causes of success is intriguing and alluring but unpersuasive.
References
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The story of success. Little, Brown, 2008.
Goldin, Owen. “Pistis, Persuasion, and Logos in Aristotle.” Elenchos, vol. 41, no.1, 2020, pp. 49-70.