The 10,000 – Hour RuleChapter 2Is there such a thing as .docx

The 10,000 – Hour Rule
Chapter 2
Is there such a thing as innate talent?
P. 38
Yes
“Achievement is talent plus preparation.” p. 38
“The problem with this view is that the closer psychologists
look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller role innate talent
seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play.” p.
38
In a study of musicians: students needed enough talent to get
into a top music school.
But once a student is admitted, “the thing that distinguishes one
performer from another is how hard he or she works.” p. 39
Successful people need to spend a lot of time practicing in their
field.
It takes about 10,000 hours or 10 years (1,000 hours/year) to
really become an expert in your field.
“In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction
writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master
criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and
again.” p. 40
“Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.” p. 41
You need the opportunity to be able to spend 10,000 hours
practicing in your field.

“You have to have parents who encourage and support you.
You can’t be poor, because if you have to hold down a part-time
job on the side to help make ends meet, there won’t be time left
in the day to practice enough. In fact, most people can reach
that number only if they get into some kind of special program
– like a hockey all-star squad – or if they get some kind of
extraordinary opportunity that gives them a chance to put in
those hours.” p. 42
Bill Joy
An outlier who co-founded Sun Mirosystems “one of the most
critical players in the computer revolution.” p. 37
“He has talent by the truckload.” p. 43
But he was given the opportunity to develop his programming
talent on the computer because he attended the University of
Michigan in 1971 – a unique school which had a Computer
Center open 24 hours where Bill Joy could practice all night.
“Bill Joy was brilliant. He wanted to learn. That was a big part
of it. But before he could become an expert, someone had to
give him the opportunity to learn how to be an expert.” p. 46
The Beatles
In 1960 they were given the opportunity to play in clubs in
Hamburg, Germany.
These clubs required the Beatles to play long hours every night.
“By the time they had their first burst of success in 1964, in
fact, they had performed live an estimated twelve hundred
times.” p. 50
All that onstage practice together set the Beatles apart from
other bands.
Bill Gates
Father of a wealthy lawyer & mother daughter of wealthy

banker
Parents took their son out of public school to enroll him in an
elite private school that started a computer club (supported by
parent’s money). The club had computers connected to a
mainframe computer.
“From that moment forward, Gates lived in the computer room.”
p. 51
“By the time Gates dropped out of Harvard after his sophomore
year to try his hand at his own software company, he’d been
programming practically nonstop for seven consecutive years.
He was way past ten thousand hours.” p. 54-55
“If we put the stories of hockey players and the Beatles and Bill
Joy and Bill Gates together, I think we get a more complete
picture of the path to success. Joy and Gates and the Beatles
are all undeniably talented…
But what truly distinguished their histories is not their
extraordinary talent but their extraordinary opportunities.”
p. 55
They all had opportunities to practice a lot 10,000 hours in
their field.
Born at the right time
The most important date in the personal computer revolution:
Jan. 1975 (when the first personal computer Altair 8800 came to
market)
“The perfect age to be in 1975…is old enough to be a part of
the coming revolution but not so old that you missed it…twenty
or twenty-one…born in 1954 or 1955.” p. 65
Bill Gates born 1955, Paul Allen 1953, Steve Ballmer 1956,
Steve Jobs 1955, Eric Schmidt 1955, Bill Joy 1954

Questions
Is there something that you think you have talent in?
Is it something you are willing to put 10,000 hours of practice
into or do you prefer to just be good enough to enjoy it, more
like a hobby to do in your spare time?
To be happy in life, we need to spend the most time on things
(and people) we enjoy. What are the top 3 or 5 things that you
want to spend the most time on?
The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2
Chapter 4
Mega Geniuses Christopher Langan
“Smartest man in America” (maybe the world)
Average IQ = 100, Einstein 150, Chris 195-210
Speaking at 6 months of age
3-years-old taught himself to read
5-years-old questioned the existence of God
“In school, Langan could walk into a test in foreign-language
class, not having studied at all, and if there were two or three
minutes before the instructor arrived, he could skim through the
textbook and ace the test.” p. 71
In spite of his enormous IQ, Chris Langan never won a Nobel
Prize, never started a corporation like Bill Gates, never became

a famous scientist, never achieved noteworthy success.
Difficult Family Background
Grew up in a poor & broken family.
Mother had 4 sons, each with different father (Chris eldest).
Biological father disappeared before he was born.
4th husband Jack Langan (Chris’ stepfather) beat-up the boys.
When Chris was 14, he started working out & beat-up Jack, who
then left the family.
Chris, brothers, & mother struggled due to lack of money.
Was unsuccessful in University
Went to Reed College on a scholarship but did not fit in
Lost scholarship because mother neglected to renew it, so left
he Reed
Enrolled in Montana State University but had trouble getting to
morning classes due to car & distance problems
Reed & Montana did not help or support Chris so he dropped
out of higher-education system.
Lost opportunity to become a brilliant academic/professor.
Floundered after dropping out of University
Worked in construction, factory jobs, minor civil service jobs
Long term job as bouncer in bar in Long Island, NY
Continued to read philosophy, math, physics on his own
Wrote an academic paper “Cognitive Theoretic Model of
Universe” but without a degree, editors discount it.
“It is a heartbreaking story…a man with an insatiable appetite
for learning, forced for most of his adult life to live in
intellectual isolation.” p. 95-96

Comparison of Chris’ story with that of Robert Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer was the physicist who helped America develop the
nuclear bomb.
A genius, but struggled with depression & tried to poison his
university tutor.
Instead of being expelled for his crime, he was able talk his way
into being to be put on probation (& stay in university).
Later, he used his social charm to land the job to build the bomb
for the Americans.
“he possessed the kind of savvy that allowed him to get what he
wanted from the world.” p. 100
Both Oppenheimer & Chris Langan had high IQ but Chris
lacked “practical intelligence” p. 101
Chris offended his calculus professor so the prof didn’t
recognize his genius.
Oppenheimer knew how to talk to people. He had practical
intelligence…
“It’s practical in nature…It’s knowledge that helps you read
situations correctly and get what you want.” p. 101
Where does practical intelligence come from?
Not genetic (like IQ)
A set of skills that are learned
Learned in wealthier families rather than in poor families
Wealthier (middle-class) parents are more involved in their
children’s lives.
They talk & reason with their children.
They develop their child’s talents & skills, teach them to
express their opinions, interact with others, & ask for what they
want.
Poorer children are more quiet & submissive, more distant

“This is the advantage that Oppenheimer had and that Chris
Langan lacked.” p. 108
“Oppenheimer was raised in one of the wealthiest
neighborhoods in Manhattan, the son of an artist and a
successful garment manufacturer.” p. 108
He learned from his father – who made his way up in the
business world – how to talk to people in authority.
“Chris Langan, by contrast, had…a home dominated by an
angry, drunken stepfather.” p. 110
He learned to distrust authority.
“He didn’t learn entitlement. He learned constraint.” p. 110
“If Christopher had been born into a wealthy family, if he was
the son of a doctor who was well connected in some major
market, I guarantee you he would have been one of those guys
you read about, knocking back PhDs at seventeen,” he brother
Jeff says. P. 110
Questions
What kind of family did you grow up in? (Poor, middle-class,
wealthy)
What advantages did you have from growing up in a wealthier
family? (If you came from a poor family, how can you
overcome the disadvantages?)
What practical & people skills did you learn from your parents?
The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 1

Chapter 3
Mega Geniuses Christopher Langan
“Smartest man in America” (maybe the world)
Average IQ = 100, Einstein 150, Chris 195-210
Speaking at 6 months of age
3-years-old taught himself to read
5-years-old questioned the existence of God
“In school, Langan could walk into a test in foreign-language
class, not having studied at all, and if there were two or three
minutes before the instructor arrived, he could skim through the
textbook and ace the test.” p. 71
In spite of his enormous IQ, Chris Langan never won a Nobel
Prize, never started a corporation like Bill Gates, never became
a famous scientist, never achieved noteworthy success.
Lewis Terman in 1921 set out to study geniuses.
Geniuses appear to be the ultimate outliers. Nothing should
hold them back from success.
But this may be a mistaken assumption.
Since Terman’s time, much research has been done using IQ
tests to determine the relationship between high IQ and real life
success.
Does high IQ lead to success in the real world?

Yes, to a degree.
“In general, the higher your (IQ) score, the more education
you’ll get, the more money you’re likely to make, and – believe
it or not – the longer you’ll live.” p. 79
After a certain level, higher IQ does not make much difference
in terms of real-world success.
The connection with higher IQ and success works only up to a
point.
“Once someone has reached an IQ of somewhere around 120,
having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any
measurable real-world advantage.” p. 79
Nobel Prize Winners
Come from good colleges/universities but not all are from the
very top schools (i.e. Harvard)
“To be a Nobel Prize winner, apparently, you have to be smart
enough to get into a college at least as good as Notre Dame or
the University of Illinois. That’s all.” p. 83
You just have to be smart enough, above a certain threshold, to
be successful.
If intelligence matters only up to a point, then past that point,
other things matter more p.86
Divergence tests measure other things such as creativity.
“Being a successful lawyer is about a lot more than IQ.” p.89
In studies of graduates from Michigan Law School, minority

students with lower IQ s were just as successful as white
students who scored higher on IQ tests.
Just because a school’s minority students have lower scores on
IQ tests doesn’t mean they don’t have other important traits. P.
89
“What I told you at the beginning of this chapter about the
extraordinary intelligence of Chris Langan, in other words, is of
little use if we want to understand his chances of being a
success in the world.” p. 90
Questions
What other factors besides intelligence do you think are
important for success? Why?
What factors/traits do you think you have? How have they
helped you to succeed in life?
Part One: Opportunity
Successful people are given opportunities that others do not
have.
They may have been born at the right time.
They may have had supportive parents/family.
Luck and good circumstances play a role.
Successful people make use of their opportunities.
Chapter 1: The Matthew Effect
The chapter opens by quoting a verse from the book of Matthew

(which is in the Bible).
Matthew 25:29 New Living Translation (NLT)
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be
given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do
nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
What does this say about opportunity and success?
Some people have an advantage because they were born at the
right time
In Canadian professional hockey leagues, 40% were born
between January and March, 30% between April and June, 20%
between July and September, and only 10% between October
and December. Why are more professional hockey players born
earlier in the year?
In Canada, the cut-off birth date for trying out for hockey
leagues is January 1st. So, if you turn ten on January 1, you are
going to be a lot bigger, physically more mature, and more
coordinated than a child who turns ten on December 31st.
The bigger kids will play better and then be picked by better
coaches for more competitive teams. So the bigger kids will
have better coaches, more opportunities to improve & play
against other more competitive teams.
We can see the effect of an advantageous birthdate in other
areas
More American baseball players & European soccer players
were born shortly after cut-off dates so as children they were
bigger than the other players.
In education, children who start school at an older age (due to
cut-off dates) often end up doing better. Older children scored
better in math tests.
“At four-year colleges in the United States…students belonging

to the relatively youngest group in their class are
underrepresented by about 11.6 percent.” p. 29
“Think for a moment about what the story of hockey and early
birthdays says about success.
It tells us that our notion that it is the best and the brightest
who effortlessly rise to the top is much too simplistic.”
Yes, the hockey players who make it to the professional level
are more talented than you or me. But they also got a big head
start, an opportunity that they neither deserved or earned. And
that opportunity played a critical role in their success.” p. 30
Outliers: Introduction
The Roseto Mystery
An outlier is a person (or situation) that is different from other
people or situations.
Roseto Valfortore is an Italian village 100 miles from Rome.
Many of these Italians emigrated and ended up all living in the
same small town in Pennsylvania, U.S.A which they named
Roseto.
Over time, they remained a close-knit community, closed off
from the rest of the world for the most part.
In the 1950’s a doctor named Wolf discovered that no one in
Roseto died of heart disease.
Roseto Mystery: Why no heart disease?
Wolf studied the people of Roseto including their physical
makeup, culture, lifestyle, and all other possible factors that

could play a role in heart disease.
Surprisingly, Rosetans did not eat healthily, exercise much, or
have very active lifestyles. So why didn’t they have heart
disease?
Wolf concluded that their lack of heart disease was caused by
their attitude and close-knit lifestyle. The people in the
community were close; they knew each other well, supported
each other, said hello to each other, and lived with multiple
generations in their homes. This close-knit support group was
the only explanation for the lack of heart disease.
Roseto was an outlier when it came to heart disease
The town was different from the rest of the American
population which suffers from heart disease.
Rosetto was healthy not because of individual efforts to stay
healthy but because the people lived in a supportive
environment surrounded by their close friends and family
members.
“Roseto was an outlier – a place that lay outside of everyday
experience, where the normal rules did not apply.” P.7
Thesis of book
Wolf had to convince the medical establishment “to think of
health and heart attacks in an entirely new way…They had to
look beyond the individual. They had to understand the culture
he or she was a part of, and who their friends and families
were…They had to appreciate the idea that…the people we
surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.”
p. 10-11
In the same way, to understand success, we need to look beyond
the individual. We need to consider other factors such as
family, culture, and other influences.
“In Outliers, I want to do for our understanding of success what
Stewart Wolf did for our understanding of health.” p. 11

The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Chapter 7
Before 1999, Korean Airlines planes were crashing a lot
For the period 1988-1998 the “loss” rate for an American airline
was .27 per million departures (1 every 4 million flights)
The loss rate for Korean Air 4.79 per million departures – more
than 17 times higher
As a result: Delta Air Lines and Air France suspended their
partnership with Korean Air
The U.S. Army which has troops in Korea forbade its personnel
from flying on Korean Air
Safety rating was downgraded by US Federal Aviation Admin.
But Korean Air turned itself around
Safety record since 1999 is spotless
Today, it is safe as any airline in the world
“Korean Air did not succeed – it did not right itself – until it
acknowledged the importance of its cultural legacy.” p. 182
Plane crashes mostly caused by pilot communication errors
Most plane crashes do not happen suddenly (an engine
explodes) but are more likely “the result of an accumulation of
minor difficulties and seemingly trivial malfunctions.” p. 183
Pilot stressed over bad weather
In 52% of crashes pilot is tired - has been awake for 12 hours+
44% of time, 2 pilots have never flown together before, so

they’re not comfortable with each other
Errors that cause plane crashes tend to be errors of teamwork
and communication between pilots
Problem: Fear of challenging authority in communication
Junior pilots used “mitigated speech” – being polite, deferring
to authority – when speaking to the captain.
They’re afraid to speak up to tell the captain that he’s doing
something wrong.
“Combating mitigation has become one of the great crusades in
commercial aviation in the past fifteen years.” p. 197
Colombian airline Avianca 052 ran out of fuel and crashed
because the co-pilot did not communicate strongly enough to
the New York air traffic controller that they were in an
emergency situation.
Co-pilot was using mitigated speech when talking to the air
traffic controller – not being assertive enough
Power Distance Index (PDI)
How much a culture obeys authority
To measure PDI, asked questions such as:
“How frequently, in your experience, does the following
problem occur: employees being afraid to express disagreement
with their managers?”
Power Distance Index
High power distance
Value obedience to authority
Comfortable receiving commands from superiors
Prefer formal rules and authority to resolve conflicts

Low power distance
expect relatively equal power sharing
view relationship with boss as interdependence, not dependence
Japan
Israel
Denmark
Venezuela
High Power Distance
Malaysia
Low Power Distance
Canada
7
Power Distance of Pilots p.209
Brazil
South Korea
Morocco
Mexico
Philippians
United States
Ireland
South Africa
Australia
New Zealand

“High-power distance communication works only when the
listener is capable of paying close attention, and it works only if
the two parties in a conversation have the luxury of time, in
order to unwind each other’s meanings.” p. 217
“It doesn’t work in an airplane cockpit on a stormy night with
an exhausted pilot trying to land at an airport with a broken
glide scope.” p. 217
How Korean Air turned itself around
In 2000 brought in outsider from Delta Air Lines, David
Greenberg, to run their flight operations.
Greenberg’s first step was to make English the language of
Korean Air. “If you wanted to remain a pilot at the company,
you had to be fluent in that language.” p. 218
Reason: English is the language in the aviation world (when
pilots talk to Air Traffic Control, they must use English).
Greenberg gave pilots an alternate identity that was different
than their country’s cultural legacy.
“He offered his pilots…an opportunity to transform their
relationship at work.” p. 219
QUESTIONS
Are you from a high power distance culture (respect/obey
authority) or a low power distance culture (more equal sharing
of responsibilities & decision-making)? Give examples that
support your observation.
Are you personally, somewhat fearful of authority – less likely
to disagree or challenge authority? Give examples of how you
deal with authority figures i.e. parents, teachers, bosses
Do you think you need to be more assertive in some areas
(speak-up more, express your opinions, assert your wants)?

How can you change to be more assertive?
ISC 100 Reflection Worksheet Name:
This Reflection worksheet is based on the book Outliers: The
Story of Success. The goal of this assignment is for you to
reflect on ideas and concepts discussed by Gladwell and how
they might relate to your own personal experience either at
Seneca, or at home, work, or play. It is critical that your
answers reflect on the actions you might take based on your
reading of the text. Please answer in complete sentences.
1. In your own words explain “Accumulative Advantage” (page
30). Reinforce this concept with an example from Outliers.
2. As you continue your Seneca experience, list and briefly
explain three ways you could build an “accumulative
advantage”. These success strategies can come from Seneca,
community or family supports.
3. What is your program? Do you believe success is due more to
inborn talent or deliberate practice or both – page 38? Prove
your point with an example of a situation you think you will
experience on the job.
4. Understanding Power Distance index –page 204 (PDI) is very
important for building better groups and understanding our
place in those groups. Briefly explain what is meant by PDI?
5. When is a High PDI good and when is Low PDI an
advantage? Give two examples for each.

REFLECTION PARAGRAPHS FOR OUTLIERS
EVALUATION INSTRUMENT
ISC 100
STUDENT NAME______________________________
CONTENT and ANALYSIS of ANSWERS- The student has
included items from both the text and personal/Seneca
experiences that are relevant to the questions posed. Their
analysis is thorough and contains some original ideas that are
communicated clearly, with a logical, sequential flow that
allows the reader to easily follow the question and the student’s
reflection.
Possible marks 15 (each question is marked out of 3 PTS using
the template below)/Student Mark_________
#1.
3
Exceeds Expectations
2
At Expectations
1
Below Expectations,
More Effort Required
An exceptional and thought-provoking answer is provided.
Answer is thorough and consistently demonstrates a high level
of critical thinking. Answer demonstrates a good understanding
of the book’s content and successfully relates the book’s
theories to other contexts.
Reflection provides an adequate personal analysis where
applicable. Although an effort in critical thinking is
demonstrated, more effort is needed for improvement in this
area. Answer demonstrates some understanding of the book’s

content and makes an effort to relate the book’s theories to
other contexts where necessary. More effort is needed to exceed
expectations.
Answer offered little to no analysis or reflection. There was
little or no evidence of critical thinking in answer. Answer
demonstrates little or no understanding of the book’s content
and does not successfully relate it to other contexts where
necessary.
#2.
3
2
At Expectations
1
Below Expectations,
expectations.
necessary.
#3.

3
2
At Expectations
1
Below Expectations,
expectations.
necessary.
#4.
3
2
At Expectations
1
Below Expectations,

expectations.
necessary.
#5.
3
2
At Expectations
1
Below Expectations,
expectations.

necessary.
Comments____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________
FORMAT OF ANSWERS- Word processed, in proper paragraph
format. Complete sentences, MLA format, with the correct
citations.
Possible marks 2/Student mark__________
Comments____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________
SPELLING, GRAMMAR, DICTION AND PHRASING-(Greater
than five errors=0)
Possible marks 2/Student Mark__________
Comments____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________
ORGANIZATION/DEADLINE- Assignment is organized and
submitted in the proper format, on the set deadline date.
Submission is consistent with faculty instructions. A reminder
that a student will receive a 5%/day late penalty.
Possible mark 1/Student Mark___________

TOTAL MARKS POSSIBLE-/20____________

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