Outliers Journal Prompts
Journal #1
Write a summary of your chapter. What parts stood out to you? Which parts were confusing? How did Gladwell explain his 3 key points for success in your chapter? How were the study questions? Were they easy to answer? Or hard?
Journal #2
You have just been stranded on a remote island. Finally, you have time to do whatever you want! For as long as you want! You have no hope of rescue for the next 1,000 days…and you have at least 10 hours of day light each day.
HOW will you spend your time? What would you do for 10,000 hours? What would you NOT do? Describe your days and how you invest your time.
Be creative!
Journal #3
Gladwell says that many people and companies in our society are “convinced that those at the very top of the IQ scale have the greatest potential”. Do you agree with this statement? Explain.
In your own life, how do you relate to obstacles? Are you more like Chris Langan? Or Robert Oppenheimer?
Journal #4
How do you communicate with family & friends? How do you communicate with coaches and teachers? Why do you communicate in different ways with different people? Is there a time when you have experienced a communication breakdown? What was the result of the miscommunication?
Journal #5
Has there ever been a time in your life when your ethnicity or religion has affected the way other people treat you? Was this in a negative or positive way? Explain.
Journal #6
Give a detailed example from your life when you have overcome an obstacle or a situation to become successful.
Journal #7
Describe a time when you either had a scary or uncomfortable experience on a plane.
Journal #8
Gladwell claims that the practice of rice cultivation has created a cultural legacy. Explain a cultural legacy among another race.
Journal #9
How have your parents affected your personality and perception of life? Do you have a cultural legacy? If so, what do you think it is?
Journal #10
How do you define success?
“Gladwell writes, "No one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone"
Looking back at the powerpoint success project, the book Outliers, and your research paper how do you define success? How do people achieve success? Do some people have advantages over others? What advantages do you have for your passion? What factors give people advantage? Race? Wealth? Connections? Consider BOTH “OPPORTUNITES” from Part One and “CULTURAL LEGACY” from Part Two.