Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

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Is It Worth It?
Many people are willing to make sacrifices to get something they want in order to make their life better or help make someone else's life better. Usually the bigger the goal, the more sacrifices that need to be made. Throughout the book Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, the essay,"Marita's Bargain," by Malcolm Gladwell, the science article, “Secret to Raising Smart Kids,” by Carol S. Dweck, and the chapter from the novel, Annie John, “A Walk to The Jetty,” by Jamaica Kincaid, there are many things that are sacrificed to become successful. However, some argue that making sacrifices in one’s life is not worth all the effort required to put into it. Additionally, they say it constantly puts a strain on one’s life and makes a person …show more content…
They lose a lot of their potential during school breaks. Gladwell states, “The only problem with school for kids who aren't achieving is there isn't enough of it” (Gladwell 213). By taking breaks, especially long summer breaks, and not continuously studying, it decreases education and the potential to succeed. By sacrificing time throughout life, one will have a productive life and gain all that life back in the end. Still, it is not about having enough time; it is about making use of the time that is …show more content…
For example, one may have to sacrifice savings to invest in an idea that will eventually make them financially stable, but at the current time may make them struggle financially. Likewise,an individual may have to give up a high paying job that does not allow them the time off needed to spend on the goal they are trying to achieve. There is a big difference between wants, needs, and goals. Even though, one may want something, they may not necessarily need it. These things may need to be given up temporarily to achieve future success. A decision needs to be made as to what is most important. Is it important or necessary to immediately get something one wants or wait and possibly be able to get even more in the future? Furthermore, successful people make difficult choices every day concerning the way they spend their money and how much they spend. They believe money now, will pay off in the end. Gladwell states, “‘My options were City College and the University of Michigan,’ Friedman said. City College was free, and Michigan then, as now, one of the top universities in the United States was $450 a year. ‘And the thing was, after the first year, you could get a scholarship if your grades were high,’ Friedman said. ‘So it was only the first year I had to pay’” (Gladwell 102). Friedman had a choice of going to college free, but instead he sacrificed his money to go to a better college for a better. Being
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