Can Someone Be Successful Despite Suffering from Poverty?

Irving Martinez

Professor Lauren Sarat

English 1020

November 2nd, 2015

Can Someone Be Successful Despite Suffering From Poverty?

When it comes to the topic of poverty and its effects on success, most people will readily agree that there is no direct correlation between both. Where this argument usually ends, however, is whether or not suffering from this condition ultimately sets a person back from success. Whereas some are convinced that poverty holds a negative connotation on success, by standing to take a step back one can observe the larger phenomenon at play.

“A strong breeze can break branches. A whirlpool in the ocean waters can sink boats. But a strong willpower can give you courage, and even if your destination is a thousand miles away, you can be successful.” (Amit 126) This quote shows a sense personal reflection, it Is simple, believing in ones self and working hard can lead you to be successful. Success has nothing to do with social or economic backgrounds, but it does have everything to do with resilience, optimism and determination.

Canadian author, Malcolm Gladwell, known for his unexpected implications of research in social sciences wrote the book Outliers: The Story of Success. The findings in this piece allowed Gladwell to go in depth providing an unprecedented approach on success. Gladwell refers to studies done on Asians, hockey players, musicians and various other scenarios to get his point across. He elaborates that, “success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for 22 minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after 30 seconds.” (Gladwell 246) In layman’s terms, hard work is a very important aspect to success and it is what has made it a goal for many that are. Gladwell leaves his works for open interpretation, there are no relationship between the theories and the scenarios used to paint a clear picture for the reader. This proves the statement that success has no correlation with socio-economic levels but on the contrary it has to do with the work an individual puts in.

“If you are willing to weed a bit more diligently, and become more adept at fertilizing, and spend a bit more time monitoring water levels, and do a better job keeping the clay pan absolutely level and make use of every square inch of your rice paddy, you’ll harvest a bigger crop.” (Gladwell 233) This concept theory was taken into context by observing the Asian culture and how hard they work to keep their rice paddies on par. They utilize what little resources they have available to nurture their hard work ensuring every aspect of the paddies is not overlooked. Even though not all of us plant rice paddies, this applies to us whether it is a privileged kid from the Hamptons or a child from industrial Detroit; “working really hard is what successful people do, and the genius of the culture formed in the rice paddies is that hard work gave those in the fields a way to find meaning in the midst of great uncertainty and poverty.” (Gladwell 239) Successful people worked hard to reach their level of success and it is what made them successful-rich or poor. “In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” (Gladwell 33) For example, an impoverished student from the South Bronx can potentially be a doctor just as much a student who receives tutors and private education; it just means they have to put in more work.