Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story Of Success. New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2009. Print.
D'Agostino, Fred. "Contemporary Approaches to the Social Contract." (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). N.p., Mar.-Apr. 1996. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/contractarianism-contemporary/>.
Mill, John Stuart. “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion” The Essay: Old and New, Ed. Edward P.J. Corbett and Sheryl L. Finkle. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993. 326-340. Print.
Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. London: Longman, Roberts & Green, 1869; Bartleby.com, 1999. www.bartleby.com/130/
“We have, as human beings, a storytelling problem. We're a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don't really have an explanation for.”
“It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success. It’s the rich who get the biggest tax breaks. It’s the best students who get the best teaching and most attention. And it’s the biggest nine- and ten-year-olds who get the most coaching and practice. Success is the result of what sociologists like to call “accumulative advantage.”
“Once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That's it.
“Superstar lawyers and math whizzes and software entrepreneurs appear at first blush to lie outside ordinary experience. But they don't. They are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy. Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky - but all critical to making them who they are. The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.”
“To build a better world we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages today that determine success--the fortunate birth dates and the happy accidents of history--with a society that provides opportunities for all.”
“Do you see the consequences of the way we have chosen to think about success? Because we so profoundly personalize success, we miss opportunities to lift others onto the top rung...We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail. And most of all, we become much too passive. We overlook just how large a role we all play—and by “we” I mean society—in determining who makes it and who doesn’t.”
Brian Bui
Professor Quintero
English 101
10 November 2012 The Few and the Most
In John Stuart Mill’s essay, “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion”, Mill asserts the existence of dissent from the majority as essential to the path of truth.
In order for the truth and knowledge to surface, people must hold erroneous opinions so we may learn from them. The arduous pursuit of the truth within opinions requires that people constantly exercise their argument ability. Mill claims that there are 3 different types of opinions: wholly right, partially true, wholly false. An opinion of the majority loses its meaning if it cannot be defended and proved. The freedom of opinion dissent serves as a means of finding the truth because a certain amount of skepticism is needed in order to question the arguments of both majority and minority opinion. Mill states that all opinions must be viewed with some uncertainty and the opinion of the minority no matter how small should not be suppressed: “Such prejudice, or oversight, when it [i.e. false belief] occurs, is altogether an evil; but it is one from which we cannot hope to be always exempt, and must be regarded as the price paid for an inestimable good” (Bartleby). The fallibility of the majority is exemplified by looking at past history.
Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was a slave in the 1800s, but Douglass was not a typical slave. Douglass fought for his freedom more then the other slaves, he wanted more than anything to be free and equal to everyone else. He also had a better outlook on life then all the other slaves, he tried to be more positive even when he was involved with slavery. Douglass worked hard and knew what he had to do to get out of slavery and help the rest of his fellow slaves get out of slavery as well…
interesting to note that both Smalls and Douglass had white masters for fathers and were perhaps given a little more freedom and more advantage. However, they did not squander the opportunity and helped advance the cause of freedom. In his autobiography, “My Bondage and My Freedom”, Douglass very eloquently spoke of the hardships he had endured and how he was taught to read by his slave mother. Many of the intellectual white Black Suffrage groups lauded after Douglass to help advance their cause and…
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass AP English Language January 4, 2014 2. Douglass’ thirst for knowledge came from his drive to make a better life for himself, starting through educating himself. All of his extra time and efforts went towards reading materials that explained that there was life after slavery. Through these literally works and achievements Douglass’ quest for freedom was inspired and driven. He reads about what life could potentially hold for him and this develops his…
Project Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was one of the most prominent figures of the abolitionist movement, a movement that fought to end slavery. A brilliant speaker, Douglass engaged in a tour of lectures, and became recognized as one of America’s first great black speakers. Douglass also wrote a personal narrative in 1845 titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Taylor 34). Through his book , Frederick Douglass aimed to educate the uninformed Northern…
Frederick Douglass By Isabelle Smith Frederick Douglas, a former slave, who overcame his past to become one of the worlds most influential black figures. An abolitionist, during the late 18th century, Douglas' personal history became not only his motivation but also his own nemesis in his crusade to abolish slavery. Frederick Douglas was born on February 1818, at Holmes Hill farm, Maryland. Born into slavery, Douglas was fathered by a white man, presumably the "master" of the plantation…
Frederick Douglass CPL Jade Keffer JROTC II "Bravo" Company January 23, 2015 OUTLINE Frederick Douglass risked everything for others, broke the rules with the chance of serious consequences, and best of all he persevered. 1.Introduction 2.Birth facts 3.Growing up 4.Challenges 5.More growing up 6.Big picture 7.Death 8.Conclusion Frederick Douglass was a man who made a lot of difference in the world. He showed people that we don't have to comply with society if it isn't right;…
Frederick Douglass Born: February, 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland Died: February 20, 1895 Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland. There, he encountered the brutalities of slavery firsthand. In 1838, after escaping from slavery, Douglass became a major advocate against the evils of slavery. He spoke forcefully against the arguments that slaves did not possess a great enough intellectual capacity to function as individual citizens. His eloquent words left people in awe…
Jordan Johnson English 1302.37 Instructor Stoner 1 March 2014 Frederick Douglass: Slavery Throughout the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass there were many instances when slavery was indeed cruel and injustice to the humanity of the slaves during this time period. Frederick Douglass had seen and/or heard of the worst things happening to people around him, simply because of the color of their skin. Douglass had been born into slavery, which left him with not much of a choice to pursue…
The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Liberty and Freedom Explained Frederick Douglass was a former slave who was a key figure in the abolition movement. Through his speeches and discussions, many people learned of the evils that surrounded slavery. Although he was a great speaker, his most influential tool in the fight for abolition would be his narrative he wrote. Through explanation of the horrors he experienced while shackled in slavery, many people came to join the fight against the abhorred…
Frederick Douglass was born some time in February, 1818. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he chose to celebrate his birthday on the 14th of February. The exact year is also a mystery and throughout his life, Douglass had no accurate knowledge of his age. It was, however, estimated to be some time in early 1818. Douglass was born as a slave in Talbot County, Maryland. He was separated from his mother at a very young age as was custom in those parts and he was sent to live with his grandmother…