These are time sensitive. You do not receive credit if you write them after the deadline each week.
First, there's a blog entry (about 250 words) which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question. Each week, you must do the blog entry with enough time left in the week to be able to enter into dialogue online with your classmates. Write, reply, write more, reply more, and then write and reply more.
Second, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
Third, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the SATURDAY (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. This entry should be a long paragraph. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESPOND TO OTHER STUDENTS' PART THREE EACH WEEK.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
WEEK NINE WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
Find a good sentence in the Tipping Point. Write it here and discuss why it matters.
"Proximity overpowered similarity" pg.35 This sentence is short but precise because in most cases proximity wins over similarity. Proximity will most likely always win over similarity because human beings tend to look for things that are convinient and proximity makes this possible. for example, if you need a product, you will not travel 100 miles to get that product if you can get a similar product in a store that is 10 miles away from your house. In some relationships proximity also tends to win over similarity. You would rather have someone close than to experinence the feeling of missing that person. proximity is also important if you are trying to promote something.
"I call Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen, who play a critical role in the word-of-mouth epidemics that dictate our tastes and trends and fashions." p. 14
This sentence stood out and matters because of the fact that it says " ... that dictate our tastes and trends and fashions. " Until reading this, I would have answered to anyone that I like what I like because that is what I choose to like. Or I wear dresses because they are pretty. I can continue with reasons. This part of the sentence had me thinking about my likes, and how would they change if I had no one to influence me in what I do and don't like. For example, you go to purchase a car and before you go you think you know what you want. Then a salesman speaks with you, and tells you what you want and need in a subtle manner. Before you realize it, you are driving out of the dealer with a brand new car that is the completely contrary to what you thought you wanted. The same can be said about what we wear, and who we socialize with. All of our choices are in a way dictated by others. That is a creepy thought, don't you think?
"It was over. Money had changed hands, there were no witnesses, and the man was gone, out of his life forever." p.9 This sentence stood out to me, because of how horrible it sounded. Most often we here out of sight out of mind. But, that didn't happen in this case. He kept thinking about Candido and the accident. The phrase "money had changed hands" was what originally caught my eye. I think money changes a lot of things. Its sad how we let money come between our lives and feelings. Money cannot buy happiness and peace of mind.
"The line between hostility and acceptance, in other words, between an epidemic that tips and one that does not, is sometimes a lot narrower than it seems." Page 132.
Sometimes we think, we can only create something big or can make a big difference if we do something big, super, difficult, and extraordinary. Through a couple examples - what the Sesame Street did by just adding Big Bird to make a huge difference and what Levanthal did to make his students had tetanus shots by just setting up a map and appointments - Malcolm wants to show us that a big creation can be made by doing simple thing without junking and revamping. According to his stickiness factor, there is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible. All we have to do is find it. And according to his law of few, there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All we have to do is find them. Last week, with my MBA fellows, I got a chance to visit Google Headquarter in Venice Beach and to talk and to have discussion with some of its employees. Google has been under my “radar” for a long time, I’ve been following news about this company for a couple years. I was curious about its business strategy, its success, its resources, its products, and its work-processes, everything that have made this company huge and successful. I’ve been following Apple and Amazon too, but my curiosity is more on Google. The company has passed Exxon this year as the second US most valuable company after Apple. What a big success! Before, I was thinking, what made this company successful was its ability to converge its diverging creativities and transformed those creativities into hi-tech innovations. Sounds complicated. There are many companies have creativities, but only a few are able to converge their ideas into something innovative. During their presentation, I asked them a couple questions and their answers made me draw some relations to what I have read in Tipping Point (note: I haven’t finished reading it). One of the questions I asked was what direction they were going right now, what their business strategy was. From the media I know that Google has acquired twenty robotics companies last year, funded windmills project via its Google Energy, funded a healthcare project, acquired fiber optics providers via its Google Fiber, “I know you have a lot of money, but where are you going actually?.” They said “We do cool things that matter” and “We are willing to take risks”. And then they explained to us what they did their business and their business strategy. I found to my surprise that what Google does is actually not as complicated as I thought. It is not something new or something that is extraordinary difficult that other people can’t do. What mostly Google does is developing partnerships (some of the partnerships ended up with acquirements) small technology companies (in any field, not limited to just IT field, but also to healthcare, energy, etc.) that have already had ideas, projects or products, and through a mutual partnership, Google is helping them to grow. Instead of having a huge and costly R&D, Google grows its business through partnerships. That’s what most people and most businesses do, right? So what have made Google different? Like what Malcolm said, I think Google has found its exceptional people who are able to create simple ways to run its business.
"Emotion is contagious" I dont know exactly where this is since I already finished the book. But I remember seeing it because I discussed it with my husband after reading it. My yoga instructor just got done telling me about a book she read that had that very fact as its main focus. Its totally true if you think about it. I can name several occasions where I was in a terrible mood with no hopes of snapping out of it (come on ladies... you know what Im talking about lol), and all I have to do is surround myself with the right people and, like magic, I couldnt even tell you why I was in a bad mood. No trace of it is left behind. Im laughing, joking and feel like Im on cloud nine. You can just as easy get put in a sour mood. Try and stay chipper in a room with nothing but negative grumps. They ooze negativity and its hard not to get some on you. Dont surround yourself with negativity because it will rub off (I always try to spit some happy on them before I leave though). Emotions are very contagious and once people know this, it can only better them and situtaion they may find themselfs in. They can take a broken down friend to a kareoke bar or something and sing Dont Worry Be Happy.
"In the case of Kitty Genovese, then, social psychologists like Latane and Darley argue, the lesson is not that no one called despite the fact that thirty-eight people heard her scream: it;s that no one called because thirty-eight people heard her scream." Page 28
This sentence stood out to me. In my religious studies class, we have focused on this act a lot. It is known as the bystander effect. Because so many people witness a problem (no matter how harsh) an individual will believe that someone else will help. The problem with that thinking is that everyone else is thinking that; therefore, no one helps. This blows my mind how this can happen. How can so many people witness something and know something is wrong, and not help? I believe that in this situation that I would do something, at least call the police. But this effect tells me differently. It scares me to know that something like this can happen. This example showed me a great example of the tipping point. Like the book said, If the women would have gotten attacked on a lonely street with just one witness, she might have lived.
"Social epidemics work in exactly the same way. They are also driven by efforts of a handful of exceptional people." (Page 21)
I thought it was interesting that there are exceptional people that trigger social epidemics. It made me wonder what makes a person exceptional. As I kept reading the book stated that people who can influence and are very sociable are the exceptional people. If this is what an exceptional person is like, than there could several people like this out in the world. It is crazy to think that people who have these traits could impact society so much. Not all epidemics are good either, these exceptional people can really harm others. For example, diseases can be spread through these exceptional people and with out anyone knowing. I think most people would not think of the person who is social to create such a problem. It is hard to imagine how much one person can influence and impact society.
"...they were incremental changes. The crack trade leveled off. The population got a little older. The police force got a little better. Yet the effect was dramatic." (pg. 8) This sentence stuck out to me for a couple of reasons. I have always been a bit shocked and mesmerized how true this idea is. You can see this in almost all aspects of your life. The idea that small changes can have a huge impact can be either positive or negative. But when these small changes do begin to happen, you aren't immediately aware that a potentially huge change is about to occur. It is hindsight that allows us to see this, and it is that point that makes this idea so interesting to me. It can start with changing your morning routine, this allows you to get to work earlier allowing you to change your work habits, which in turn allows you to be more competitive professionally, then leading to your promotion. This can be a huge life changing impact on your life, and it seemingly started by changing your morning routine. It's a very fun and interesting idea to ponder.
"The Law of the Few says that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All you have to do is find them." Page 132
This sentence stood out to me because it makes it seem like these "Few" exceptional people are some kind of secret superheroes or something. It almost makes me feel like I'm incapable of making impressionable changes because I may not be one of those few exceptional people. I understand that some people have an easier way of making an impact such as celebrities, politicians, etc; but this sentence makes me feel as if the "normal" people can't.
This sentence stood out to me because I truly believe one will not succeed if they never try. People need to take chances even if it means failing. Failing is a part of succeeding. People do not become successful without facing obstacles. Those who succeed are the ones that fail, get back up and keep trying. If people never attempt to overcome a hurdle or reach a particular goal, then they will not get any better. If a person lacks effort, then that person will not succeed because success is about taking chances in life. Sometimes people are afraid to take chances because of embarrassment or disappointing others. Furthermore, individuals end up not taking chances and remaining in the same situation with no success because they gave up and stopped taking chances. Anything in life is attainable, but without effort success will not be achieved. For example, I have a younger sister who tried out for the volleyball team when she was in the 5th grade. Unfortunately, she didn’t end up making the team. I was upset because budget cuts implemented a pass or fail reality check for students trying out for sports. Since children were required to try out for sports, not every student had the opportunity to be a part of a team. Children were no longer entitled to making a sport’s team, so my sister was dubious about her chances of ever becoming a student athlete. I told her it was okay and to not give up because she just needed to practice a little more to improve her skills. At this point, my sister just wanted to give up and not try anymore. However, I convinced her that she needed to take her chances and try out the following year. A year later with some practice and effort my little sister made the volleyball team. I was proud of her for not giving up and putting herself out there after being cut the year before. This in her eyes was a success and I was happy to have helped her.
"We have seen, in this book, how a number of relatively minor changes in our external environment can have a dramatic effect on how we behave and who we are." (np)
This sentence really caught my attention. As a sociology major, I am extremely interested in how the small things such as a chance encounter can be more meaningful than a long term relationship, and can adversely affect your life. A seemingly innocent involvement in a group can lead to an overall change in perceptions by others. Additionally, inconsequential things such as manner of dress can affect group membership inclusion or exclusion. The small things in life that define who we are have a domino effect that trickles down to the larger picture. Whereas children are trained to follow their parents/guardians predetermined path, teenagers and young adults are not necessarily led in the same manner. It is this sense of individuality and freedom that is shown to determine the formation of the self that will carry on into adulthood. It is quite remarkable that our inert nature to blend-in or conform to societal norms overrides our individualistic nature. However, this passage makes the point that by making a simple change that seems minor can change a person’s self-image, impression management techniques, and presentation of self. While this concept is relatively easy to follow, it is not always easy to see how and when this actually happens. Following trends and fads that are deemed socially acceptable are part of social construction of reality, and yet bucking the system is considered deviant. Be labeled a conformist or deviant, this question seems to be slightly overblown in the grand scheme of things but it is vitally important.
“Tipping point in this epidemic, though, isn’t a particular kind of person- a connector like Lois Weisberg or a Mavern like Mark Alpert. It’s something physical like graffiti. The impetus to engage in a certain kind of behavior is not coming from a certain kind of person but from a feature of the environment.”
I think that these couple of sentences really describes the nature and meaning behind the entire book. It is unreal to think that some people are naturally taken at face value. While others have more authority but not one has a true reason as to why. The idea that Paul Revere was able to warn others and in another similar situation was unsuccessful in warning the countryside. The world that we live in dictates what we do, why we do it, and when we learn to be involved. The idea of beginning the use of drugs among groups of people in different neighborhoods that has the potential to tip and spread or stay contained. The same goes for many other trends like the popularity of shoes. The patterns and behaviors of groups of people can stay localized or tip and be found everywhere.
“If we want to break bad news to someone, we lower our voices and choose our words carefully.“ Pg 11
This was one of the many sentences that stood out to me because I feel that I can relate to this as well. Whether it’s good news or bad news, we as humans tend to vocalize our emotions. For example if I receive a low score on a assignment, when I go to tell my family or friends my voice will be sad and low. If the news is good like, I received an A on a test, then my voice would be high pitched and loud. In conclusion whenever we are happy, our voice is high and loud, but when sad it’s low and deep.
"They were every bit as contagious. But they were weak enough that most people--even small children--were able to fight them off and survive from them."(Pg.24)
This sentence really caught my attention because HIV is an epidemic that plagues our civilization today. It is a horrible virus that causes AIDS and ultimately those infected die a horrible death. The topic of HIV is such a relevant topic today. This sentence makes me think that if this horrible virus would have been identified and treated in its earlier weaken state millions of people today would not have died from it. It just goes to show the importance of identifying and treating different diseases and viruses.
"We're friends with the people we do things with, as much as we are with the people we resemble." (pg. 35)
This passage matters because it describes how an individual interacts depending on the people he/she is surrounded by. And whether that one individual will cope better with those that participate in the same activities or same attitude. This sentence relates and explains my past experiences with people from junior high, high school and college. I found that the people I was closer with had similar activities. Discovering these activities, I would lean toward those who share my same interests rather than my attitude.
"When people are in a group, in other words, responsibility for acting is diffused."
I rather enjoyed this passage because it describes how the group mentality of people can change how we thing. It is the idea of a "mob" mentality. A majority of people do not act uncivilized when doing something alone, however once they are set in a group it causes much chaos and calamity. We are stronger in groups and Gladwell focuses on that idea of how we can act in groups both negatively and positively. Gladwell furthers this idea by describing how responsibility can quickly take an altered approach when in a group. Negatively, people can act wild in a group. The passage not only made me think, but also gave strong insight on something that many forget or take for granted.
"The Tipping Point is the biography of an idea, and, the idea is very simple." Page 7
This sentence is self explanatory but still interesting to think in regards to. It stood out to me because sometimes I believe we forget the importance of just an idea, whether how big or how small, or important or unimportant it can seem. Once an idea is thought of, there is a point, light in your brain, an indicator that something can be accomplished. The tipping point can could be like when Steve Jobs thought of creating touch screen cell phones. It was brilliant, creative, and something achievable. Even the smallest idea can be made into something huge. It's important for us to remember how important a simple and little idea can be.
"But the hard part of communication is often figuring out how to make sure a message doesn't go in one ear and out the other." (Page 25) This passage stood out to me because communication is a very important aspect in my life. I believe that if people were to communicate more efficiently and clearly, things would be in a much better state. This passage refers to the importance of communication and how information should not only be heard, but committed to memory. It's not about hearing, but listening.
“As human beings…we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed.” (pg. 176) This excerpt is important to me, as a future teacher, because I will need to know how much information my students can handle at one time. I do not want them to become overwhelmed with everything I will expect them to learn. For me personally, I become overwhelmed with information very easily. I rarely write things in a planner or on anything else, so throughout each day I attempt to remember everything that is important for me to know that day. By the end of the day I forget half of the things I needed to do- which usually creates problems and frustrations with myself and sometimes the people around me. Reading the above sentence (over and over again) encourages me to stop trying to randomly remember everything. I prove to myself over and over again that I can only remember so much but now that I know it is scientifically proven that we can only remember information in small doses, I am going to be more proactive in my memory loss by actually using a planner.
"I love my clients, okay? I'll bend over backwards for them," Gus said. "I call my clients my second family. I tell my clients, I've got two families. I've got my wife and my kids and I've got you." pg. 71 This excerpt reminds me of how I feel about my clients and their families. I love love love my clients. They are all so happy and full of life/love. Aside from my clients, I also have grown to love their families. I spend a good amount of time with their families a few days out of every week and for the time that I’m in their house; I get to be a part of their family. I really would do anything for my clients and their families. I’ve actually told some parents that they’re like my second family as Gus has said in the quote. I may not have a wife and kids, but these families that I’ve grown attached to have become my second family. I’ve got my wiener dog and my boyfriend, and I’ve got them. I think when I become a teacher, being able to let myself see my students as my second family will be important. A classroom is a community and a community doesn’t work if we don’t connect to one another and allow ourselves to form a bond. I hope that my students feel a bond with me and will love me as much as I know I’ll love them.
"Proximity overpowered similarity" pg.35
ReplyDeleteThis sentence is short but precise because in most cases proximity wins over similarity. Proximity will most likely always win over similarity because human beings tend to look for things that are convinient and proximity makes this possible. for example, if you need a product, you will not travel 100 miles to get that product if you can get a similar product in a store that is 10 miles away from your house. In some relationships proximity also tends to win over similarity. You would rather have someone close than to experinence the feeling of missing that person. proximity is also important if you are trying to promote something.
"I call Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen, who play a critical role in the word-of-mouth epidemics that dictate our tastes and trends and fashions." p. 14
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out and matters because of the fact that it says " ... that dictate our tastes and trends and fashions. " Until reading this, I would have answered to anyone that I like what I like because that is what I choose to like. Or I wear dresses because they are pretty. I can continue with reasons. This part of the sentence had me thinking about my likes, and how would they change if I had no one to influence me in what I do and don't like. For example, you go to purchase a car and before you go you think you know what you want. Then a salesman speaks with you, and tells you what you want and need in a subtle manner. Before you realize it, you are driving out of the dealer with a brand new car that is the completely contrary to what you thought you wanted. The same can be said about what we wear, and who we socialize with. All of our choices are in a way dictated by others. That is a creepy thought, don't you think?
"It was over. Money had changed hands, there were no witnesses, and the man was gone, out of his life forever." p.9
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out to me, because of how horrible it sounded. Most often we here out of sight out of mind. But, that didn't happen in this case. He kept thinking about Candido and the accident. The phrase "money had changed hands" was what originally caught my eye. I think money changes a lot of things. Its sad how we let money come between our lives and feelings. Money cannot buy happiness and peace of mind.
"The line between hostility and acceptance, in other words, between an epidemic that tips and one that does not, is sometimes a lot narrower than it seems." Page 132.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we think, we can only create something big or can make a big difference if we do something big, super, difficult, and extraordinary. Through a couple examples - what the Sesame Street did by just adding Big Bird to make a huge difference and what Levanthal did to make his students had tetanus shots by just setting up a map and appointments - Malcolm wants to show us that a big creation can be made by doing simple thing without junking and revamping. According to his stickiness factor, there is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible. All we have to do is find it. And according to his law of few, there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All we have to do is find them.
Last week, with my MBA fellows, I got a chance to visit Google Headquarter in Venice Beach and to talk and to have discussion with some of its employees. Google has been under my “radar” for a long time, I’ve been following news about this company for a couple years. I was curious about its business strategy, its success, its resources, its products, and its work-processes, everything that have made this company huge and successful. I’ve been following Apple and Amazon too, but my curiosity is more on Google. The company has passed Exxon this year as the second US most valuable company after Apple. What a big success! Before, I was thinking, what made this company successful was its ability to converge its diverging creativities and transformed those creativities into hi-tech innovations. Sounds complicated. There are many companies have creativities, but only a few are able to converge their ideas into something innovative. During their presentation, I asked them a couple questions and their answers made me draw some relations to what I have read in Tipping Point (note: I haven’t finished reading it). One of the questions I asked was what direction they were going right now, what their business strategy was. From the media I know that Google has acquired twenty robotics companies last year, funded windmills project via its Google Energy, funded a healthcare project, acquired fiber optics providers via its Google Fiber, “I know you have a lot of money, but where are you going actually?.” They said “We do cool things that matter” and “We are willing to take risks”. And then they explained to us what they did their business and their business strategy. I found to my surprise that what Google does is actually not as complicated as I thought. It is not something new or something that is extraordinary difficult that other people can’t do. What mostly Google does is developing partnerships (some of the partnerships ended up with acquirements) small technology companies (in any field, not limited to just IT field, but also to healthcare, energy, etc.) that have already had ideas, projects or products, and through a mutual partnership, Google is helping them to grow. Instead of having a huge and costly R&D, Google grows its business through partnerships. That’s what most people and most businesses do, right? So what have made Google different? Like what Malcolm said, I think Google has found its exceptional people who are able to create simple ways to run its business.
"Emotion is contagious"
ReplyDeleteI dont know exactly where this is since I already finished the book. But I remember seeing it because I discussed it with my husband after reading it. My yoga instructor just got done telling me about a book she read that had that very fact as its main focus. Its totally true if you think about it. I can name several occasions where I was in a terrible mood with no hopes of snapping out of it (come on ladies... you know what Im talking about lol), and all I have to do is surround myself with the right people and, like magic, I couldnt even tell you why I was in a bad mood. No trace of it is left behind. Im laughing, joking and feel like Im on cloud nine. You can just as easy get put in a sour mood. Try and stay chipper in a room with nothing but negative grumps. They ooze negativity and its hard not to get some on you. Dont surround yourself with negativity because it will rub off (I always try to spit some happy on them before I leave though). Emotions are very contagious and once people know this, it can only better them and situtaion they may find themselfs in. They can take a broken down friend to a kareoke bar or something and sing Dont Worry Be Happy.
"In the case of Kitty Genovese, then, social psychologists like Latane and Darley argue, the lesson is not that no one called despite the fact that thirty-eight people heard her scream: it;s that no one called because thirty-eight people heard her scream." Page 28
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out to me. In my religious studies class, we have focused on this act a lot. It is known as the bystander effect. Because so many people witness a problem (no matter how harsh) an individual will believe that someone else will help. The problem with that thinking is that everyone else is thinking that; therefore, no one helps. This blows my mind how this can happen. How can so many people witness something and know something is wrong, and not help? I believe that in this situation that I would do something, at least call the police. But this effect tells me differently. It scares me to know that something like this can happen. This example showed me a great example of the tipping point. Like the book said, If the women would have gotten attacked on a lonely street with just one witness, she might have lived.
"Social epidemics work in exactly the same way. They are also driven by efforts of a handful of exceptional people." (Page 21)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that there are exceptional people that trigger social epidemics. It made me wonder what makes a person exceptional. As I kept reading the book stated that people who can influence and are very sociable are the exceptional people. If this is what an exceptional person is like, than there could several people like this out in the world. It is crazy to think that people who have these traits could impact society so much. Not all epidemics are good either, these exceptional people can really harm others. For example, diseases can be spread through these exceptional people and with out anyone knowing. I think most people would not think of the person who is social to create such a problem. It is hard to imagine how much one person can influence and impact society.
"...they were incremental changes. The crack trade leveled off. The population got a little older. The police force got a little better. Yet the effect was dramatic." (pg. 8)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stuck out to me for a couple of reasons. I have always been a bit shocked and mesmerized how true this idea is. You can see this in almost all aspects of your life. The idea that small changes can have a huge impact can be either positive or negative. But when these small changes do begin to happen, you aren't immediately aware that a potentially huge change is about to occur. It is hindsight that allows us to see this, and it is that point that makes this idea so interesting to me. It can start with changing your morning routine, this allows you to get to work earlier allowing you to change your work habits, which in turn allows you to be more competitive professionally, then leading to your promotion. This can be a huge life changing impact on your life, and it seemingly started by changing your morning routine. It's a very fun and interesting idea to ponder.
"The Law of the Few says that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All you have to do is find them." Page 132
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out to me because it makes it seem like these "Few" exceptional people are some kind of secret superheroes or something. It almost makes me feel like I'm incapable of making impressionable changes because I may not be one of those few exceptional people. I understand that some people have an easier way of making an impact such as celebrities, politicians, etc; but this sentence makes me feel as if the "normal" people can't.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed.” (p.74)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out to me because I truly believe one will not succeed if they never try. People need to take chances even if it means failing. Failing is a part of succeeding. People do not become successful without facing obstacles. Those who succeed are the ones that fail, get back up and keep trying. If people never attempt to overcome a hurdle or reach a particular goal, then they will not get any better. If a person lacks effort, then that person will not succeed because success is about taking chances in life. Sometimes people are afraid to take chances because of embarrassment or disappointing others. Furthermore, individuals end up not taking chances and remaining in the same situation with no success because they gave up and stopped taking chances. Anything in life is attainable, but without effort success will not be achieved. For example, I have a younger sister who tried out for the volleyball team when she was in the 5th grade. Unfortunately, she didn’t end up making the team. I was upset because budget cuts implemented a pass or fail reality check for students trying out for sports. Since children were required to try out for sports, not every student had the opportunity to be a part of a team. Children were no longer entitled to making a sport’s team, so my sister was dubious about her chances of ever becoming a student athlete. I told her it was okay and to not give up because she just needed to practice a little more to improve her skills. At this point, my sister just wanted to give up and not try anymore. However, I convinced her that she needed to take her chances and try out the following year. A year later with some practice and effort my little sister made the volleyball team. I was proud of her for not giving up and putting herself out there after being cut the year before. This in her eyes was a success and I was happy to have helped her.
"We have seen, in this book, how a number of relatively minor changes in our external environment can have a dramatic effect on how we behave and who we are." (np)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence really caught my attention. As a sociology major, I am extremely interested in how the small things such as a chance encounter can be more meaningful than a long term relationship, and can adversely affect your life. A seemingly innocent involvement in a group can lead to an overall change in perceptions by others. Additionally, inconsequential things such as manner of dress can affect group membership inclusion or exclusion. The small things in life that define who we are have a domino effect that trickles down to the larger picture. Whereas children are trained to follow their parents/guardians predetermined path, teenagers and young adults are not necessarily led in the same manner. It is this sense of individuality and freedom that is shown to determine the formation of the self that will carry on into adulthood. It is quite remarkable that our inert nature to blend-in or conform to societal norms overrides our individualistic nature. However, this passage makes the point that by making a simple change that seems minor can change a person’s self-image, impression management techniques, and presentation of self. While this concept is relatively easy to follow, it is not always easy to see how and when this actually happens. Following trends and fads that are deemed socially acceptable are part of social construction of reality, and yet bucking the system is considered deviant. Be labeled a conformist or deviant, this question seems to be slightly overblown in the grand scheme of things but it is vitally important.
“Tipping point in this epidemic, though, isn’t a particular kind of person- a connector like Lois Weisberg or a Mavern like Mark Alpert. It’s something physical like graffiti. The impetus to engage in a certain kind of behavior is not coming from a certain kind of person but from a feature of the environment.”
ReplyDeleteI think that these couple of sentences really describes the nature and meaning behind the entire book. It is unreal to think that some people are naturally taken at face value. While others have more authority but not one has a true reason as to why. The idea that Paul Revere was able to warn others and in another similar situation was unsuccessful in warning the countryside. The world that we live in dictates what we do, why we do it, and when we learn to be involved. The idea of beginning the use of drugs among groups of people in different neighborhoods that has the potential to tip and spread or stay contained. The same goes for many other trends like the popularity of shoes. The patterns and behaviors of groups of people can stay localized or tip and be found everywhere.
“If we want to break bad news to someone, we lower our voices and choose our words carefully.“ Pg 11
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the many sentences that stood out to me because I feel that I can relate to this as well. Whether it’s good news or bad news, we as humans tend to vocalize our emotions. For example if I receive a low score on a assignment, when I go to tell my family or friends my voice will be sad and low. If the news is good like, I received an A on a test, then my voice would be high pitched and loud. In conclusion whenever we are happy, our voice is high and loud, but when sad it’s low and deep.
"They were every bit as contagious. But they were weak enough that most people--even small children--were able to fight them off and survive from them."(Pg.24)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence really caught my attention because HIV is an epidemic that plagues our civilization today. It is a horrible virus that causes AIDS and ultimately those infected die a horrible death. The topic of HIV is such a relevant topic today. This sentence makes me think that if this horrible virus would have been identified and treated in its earlier weaken state millions of people today would not have died from it. It just goes to show the importance of identifying and treating different diseases and viruses.
"We're friends with the people we do things with, as much as we are with the people we resemble." (pg. 35)
ReplyDeleteThis passage matters because it describes how an individual interacts depending on the people he/she is surrounded by. And whether that one individual will cope better with those that participate in the same activities or same attitude. This sentence relates and explains my past experiences with people from junior high, high school and college. I found that the people I was closer with had similar activities. Discovering these activities, I would lean toward those who share my same interests rather than my attitude.
"When people are in a group, in other words, responsibility for acting is diffused."
ReplyDeleteI rather enjoyed this passage because it describes how the group mentality of people can change how we thing. It is the idea of a "mob" mentality. A majority of people do not act uncivilized when doing something alone, however once they are set in a group it causes much chaos and calamity. We are stronger in groups and Gladwell focuses on that idea of how we can act in groups both negatively and positively. Gladwell furthers this idea by describing how responsibility can quickly take an altered approach when in a group. Negatively, people can act wild in a group. The passage not only made me think, but also gave strong insight on something that many forget or take for granted.
"The Tipping Point is the biography of an idea, and, the idea is very simple." Page 7
ReplyDeleteThis sentence is self explanatory but still interesting to think in regards to. It stood out to me because sometimes I believe we forget the importance of just an idea, whether how big or how small, or important or unimportant it can seem. Once an idea is thought of, there is a point, light in your brain, an indicator that something can be accomplished. The tipping point can could be like when Steve Jobs thought of creating touch screen cell phones. It was brilliant, creative, and something achievable. Even the smallest idea can be made into something huge. It's important for us to remember how important a simple and little idea can be.
"But the hard part of communication is often figuring out how to make sure a message doesn't go in one ear and out the other." (Page 25)
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because communication is a very important aspect in my life. I believe that if people were to communicate more efficiently and clearly, things would be in a much better state. This passage refers to the importance of communication and how information should not only be heard, but committed to memory. It's not about hearing, but listening.
“As human beings…we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed.” (pg. 176)
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt is important to me, as a future teacher, because I will need to know how much information my students can handle at one time. I do not want them to become overwhelmed with everything I will expect them to learn. For me personally, I become overwhelmed with information very easily. I rarely write things in a planner or on anything else, so throughout each day I attempt to remember everything that is important for me to know that day. By the end of the day I forget half of the things I needed to do- which usually creates problems and frustrations with myself and sometimes the people around me. Reading the above sentence (over and over again) encourages me to stop trying to randomly remember everything. I prove to myself over and over again that I can only remember so much but now that I know it is scientifically proven that we can only remember information in small doses, I am going to be more proactive in my memory loss by actually using a planner.
"I love my clients, okay? I'll bend over backwards for them," Gus said. "I call my clients my second family. I tell my clients, I've got two families. I've got my wife and my kids and I've got you." pg. 71
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt reminds me of how I feel about my clients and their families. I love love love my clients. They are all so happy and full of life/love. Aside from my clients, I also have grown to love their families. I spend a good amount of time with their families a few days out of every week and for the time that I’m in their house; I get to be a part of their family. I really would do anything for my clients and their families. I’ve actually told some parents that they’re like my second family as Gus has said in the quote. I may not have a wife and kids, but these families that I’ve grown attached to have become my second family. I’ve got my wiener dog and my boyfriend, and I’ve got them. I think when I become a teacher, being able to let myself see my students as my second family will be important. A classroom is a community and a community doesn’t work if we don’t connect to one another and allow ourselves to form a bond. I hope that my students feel a bond with me and will love me as much as I know I’ll love them.