One of the most thought provoking parts in Gladwell’s books was definitely the difference of success level based on different cultures. There are always stereotypes about one race having one personality trait more than others. A common one, as Gladwell mentions, is how people from the Asian culture tend to be smarter than an average American. While that stereotype seems to be proven right in many instances, I can almost guarantee no one actually knows why that occurs. As Gladwell explains, the Asian number system is much shorter than ours. Most of the numbers are one syllable, therefore taking much less time to pronounce them than English numbers. By the time a child is four years old, an average Asian child can count up to forty. With …show more content…
Take, for instance, the example Gladwell mentions about children in different economic classes in America. The middle class parents tend to follow a strategy of “concerted cultivation,” (Pg 104). This is “an attempt to actively foster and asses a child’s talents, opinions, and skills.” On the other hand, a parent in the lower economic class tends to follow a style of “accomplishment of natural growth.” These parents care for their children but let them grow and develop on their own. Neither parenting style is better than the other, but the study’s results showed that children experiencing the concerted cultivation style of parenting learns a lot of valuable traits throughout her opportunities, such as teamwork and responsibility. These children were more assertive and were able to speak up for themselves. The children raised in a poorer family setting were more timid and were characterized by “an emerging sense of distance, distrust, and constraint,” (Pg. 105). I have always found it interesting to learn about the personality traits that different cultures and people form. It is truly amazing how one parenting style is more prone to raise successful people, as opposed to another. It is also amazing how one culture, because of its language, has an advantage over another. I find these facts fascinating and am intrigued to continue learning