Summary and Response on Outliers Chapter 4

Summary and Response on Outliers Chapter 4 

"the troubles with geniuses, part II"

In Malcolm Gladwell’s Oultiers Chapter 4 “the troubles with geniuses, part II,” Gladwell states that for those high IQ people, their family background determine whether they could be successful or not. He uses the Langan example from last chapter. Langan has extremely high IQ but he is born in a poor family. His parents don't care about his education. Gladwell puts this parenting style as “natural growth”; from a study about students’ behaviors based on their family background done by a sociologist Annette Lareau. It means those parents are responsible for them but let them grow by themselves. Children grow up with this type of parenting usually afraid of the authorities or don't know how to speak up. Langan is one example; the fail of renewing his scholarship and the fail of rescheduling his class period support that. There is another type of parenting called “concerted cultivation;” Robert Oppenheimer is an example. He grew up in a middle class family with he knew how to interact with “authorities” since he is little. He knows how to use his “entitlement.” Therefore, even though he tries to poison his tutor, he gets probation as result. Moreover, he gets himself a chance to work on the atomic bomb. Gladwell thinks that geniuses with both “analysis intelligence” and “practical intelligence” could be success; and the “practical intelligence” is affected by their family backgrounds in chapter 4. (pp. 91-115)

I think Gladwell’s idea in this chapter is said to the point and is insightful. Many geniuses are very smart and many of them are lack of the skill to communicate well with authorities or others. This chapter is well shown the factors for this outcome. People’s family background and their parenting style affect their future; although I think the parenting style is more important. However, the family background is an effect on their parenting style. Not only to geniuses, parenting style is important to normal people. Parents affect heavily on children’s future. Let them grow and develop on their own is good, but guidance from parents are essential. In this chapter Gladwell shows his reader one factor to success, family background and their parenting styles. However, it is not them to choose or change easily.