Outliers

I'm listening to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers in the car. It's about how extremely successful people get that way. The gist is that nurture is just as important as nature, if not more so. He says it's all about opportunity. Part of that means being born at the right time and place, much of it has to do with cultural legacies and social systems, and some of it is under our (or our parents') control. That's a pretty small amount, but because it's all we can do anything about, it's worth a lot of attention.

As a non-parent, I'm thinking of how I can put this knowledge into action, short of lobbying for different education practices or something. While I can't directly create opportunities for children to get practice and mentorship in particular fields, I can create opportunities for people to feel welcome, safe, and loved, and to have fun, and to share what they have to share. Still not sure what form this takes in concrete, visible terms, but it will be with me for quite a while.

There's a lot more to Outliers than that. Quite a good read, if a little redundant. I recommend it for anyone, especially parents and educators.