Who we are cannot be separated from where we're from. Malcolm Gladwell More Quotes by Malcolm Gladwell More Quotes From Malcolm Gladwell My earliest memories of my father are of seeing him work at his desk and realizing that he was happy. I did not know it then, but that was one of the most precious gifts a father can give his child. Malcolm Gladwell memoriesfatherchildren Our first impressions are generated by our experiences and our environment, which means that we can change our first impressions... by changing the experiences that comprise those impressions. Malcolm Gladwell first-impressionmeanfirsts It's as if you were interested in fashion and your neighbor when you were growing up happened to be Giorgio Armani. Malcolm Gladwell neighborgrowing-upfashion The great accomplishment of Jobs's life is how effectively he put his idiosyncrasies - his petulance, his narcissism, and his rudeness - in the service of perfection. Malcolm Gladwell accomplishmentperfectionjobs Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities. Malcolm Gladwell arisepowerfulopportunity Instinct is the gift of experience. The first question you have to ask yourself is, 'On what basis am I making a judgment?' ... If you have no experience, then your instincts aren't any good. Malcolm Gladwell judgmentjudgingfirsts Those with health insurance are overinsured and their behavior is distorted by moral hazard. Those without health insurance use their own money to make decisions based on an assessment of their needs. The insured are wasteful. The uninsured are prudent. So what's the solution? Make the insured a little more like the uninsured. Malcolm Gladwell hazardsassessmentdecision The answer is that we are not helpless in the face of our first impressions. They may bubble up from the unconscious - from behind a locked door inside of our brain - but just because something is outside of awareness doesn't mean it's outside of control. Malcolm Gladwell braindoorsmean 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. Malcolm Gladwell rolesplaymean There’s this powerful phrase in the legal world, “Difficult cases make bad law.” The exception is the difficult case. You can’t generalize them by definition. So although they are fascinating, they don’t solve any problem because they’re so one of a kind. Malcolm Gladwell phrasespowerfullaw I suspect people who are indecisive are people who are far too enamored of analysis in all settings and are destroying their ability to make an instinctive judgment through over-analysis Malcolm Gladwell judgmentanalysispeople The entire principle of a blind taste test was ridiculous. They shouldn't have cared so much that they were losing blind taste tests with old Coke, and we shouldn't at all be surprised that Pepsi's dominance in blind taste tests never translated to much in the real world. Why not? Because in the real world, no one ever drinks Coca-Cola blind. Malcolm Gladwell pepsiprinciplesreal Our world requires that decisions be sourced and footnoted, and if we say how we feel, we must also be prepared to elaborate on why we feel that way...We need to respect the fact that it is possible to know without knowing why we know and accept that - sometimes - we're better off that way. Malcolm Gladwell our-worldknowingdecision The fact of being an underdog changes people in ways that we often fail to appreciate. It opens doors and creates opportunities and enlightens and permits things that might otherwise have seemed unthinkable. Malcolm Gladwell opportunitydoorspeople An incredibly high percentage of successful entrepreneurs are dyslexic. That's one of the little-known facts. Malcolm Gladwell entrepreneursuccessfullittles Acquaintances represent a source of social power, and the more acquaintances you have the more powerful you are. Malcolm Gladwell sourcepowerfulsocial As human beings, we always expect everyday change to happen slowly and steadily, and for there to be some relationship between cause and effect. Malcolm Gladwell cause-and-effectcauseseveryday The trick to finding ideas is to convince yourself that everyone and everything has a story. Malcolm Gladwell businessstoriesideas Innovation-the heart of the knowledge economy-is fundamentally social. Malcolm Gladwell innovationchangeheart The key to good decision making is not knowledge... It's whether our work fulfills us. Malcolm Gladwell keysdecisionleadership
