1. The Law of the Few

Only "a handful of exceptional people" (21) drive an epidemic. Gladwell uses the classic 80/20 principle as an example of this rule. The principle states that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Most epidemics are tipped when key individuals or groups of people change, not when the majority does. I strongly believe in this principle, as there are countless examples where this proves true. Most of our laws and rules were created because there were a few people who decided to act in a way the majority of people would disapprove of. I could name countless instances of a student "ruining it for the whole class."

2. The Stickiness Factor

To sum up what Gladwell says in four pages: Messages that stick are more likely to cause an issue to tip. The point he makes is an obvious one. It makes me wonder why I'm reading this book, because most of the ideas presented are common knowledge. He just goes on to support the ideas with strong examples and reasoning. Hopefully this is just background information given to set the reader up for some big idea that would be presented later in the book. I would elaborate on why it is important for a message to stick, but the reasoning is so obvious that I don't want to insult the intellect of anyone currently reading this. That said, let's move on.

3. The Power of Context

"Human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem" (29). The story of the murder of the woman is a great example of how the environment or context of the situation affects people's actions. Everyone acts differently based on their environment. Teens talk to adults differently from the way they talk amongst themselves. People are less likely to help when in a crowd than they would if they were alone, because most people think there are enough people that the responsibility should be divided among them. A person may act differently in a job interview than they would when they work with their colleagues. The examples are endless, but once again the point Gladwell makes is an obvious one... Come on Malcolm, let's get a move on this book. Give me something I haven't already heard.

Posted in Posted by Umang Patel at 10:15 PM