Malcolm Gladwell Outliers Analysis

The most intriguing study in the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell was, in my opinion, Rice Paddies and Math Tests (Part Two-Chapter Eight). The correlation and connections Gladwell makes between what makes the Asian rice farmers so successful, and how it translated into math was frankly, a very remarkable comparison that changed how I thought of mathematics and success in general. It made a connection between the math we learn in school, how we learn it, and how this can translate into life, especially life as a rice farmer. It was also very fascinating for Gladwell to show the significant differences between how kids in Asian countries learn math versus how kids in Western countries learn math. Conversely Gladwell further strengthened and

developed his argument to show that there were definite components behind the success, such as the way the Asian number system is set up as well as the meticulous work it takes to be a rice farmer, but also how these things are just factors, and that with a certain drive and want success can be achieved by an effort of dedication and willingness to work hard.
In the first section of Rice Paddies and Math tests Gladwell carefully explains the work that goes into being a rice farmer, especially during the time when farming was a family’s main source of income and sustenance or in other words their livelihood.

To cultivate a successful rice paddy Asian farmers had to pay careful and close attention to their crops. It took constant monitoring, which was very different compared to other crop farming which involved digging a field, planting the seed and keeping it sufficiently watered and in sunlight. However, rice farming is a much more complicated, much more attentive process. Gladwell, when comparing rice farming to other crop farming states that it is “a relentless, intricate pattern of agriculture.” Rice paddies are built up rather than dug, they are built into mountainsides in a series of terraces or they are constructed from marshlands and river plains. The paddy has to be irrigated properly otherwise the crop will not grow, to do so a series of dikes and channels are constructed around the field. The paddy has to be watered a very specific amount otherwise it could result in over flooding or under watering. Rice farmers had to be careful with fertilizer, because if applied incorrectly or at the wrong time could be disastrous for the crop yield that year. The paddies had to be carefully weeded, which was usually done by hand. Rice farming was a full time job for Asian farmers. It required their constant attention to make sure

the rice grew well. Often it required a whole family’s efforts to make a successful yield. Farmers would choose between hundreds of different varieties of rice that each grew differently, and often they would plant multiple varieties in order to manage and control the risk of crop failure.
Gladwell transitions his story about rice farming to comparing math systems in section two of the chapter. His argument points out that Chinese children have an easier time remembering a list of numbers in a two second time span because the way they say their numbers can be uttered in less than a quarter of a second allowing for more numbers being able to stick in that memory loop. Western math systems take up a longer span to say these numbers, therefore only giving them a fifty percent chance at remembering numbers within a two second time span. As well as this, Gladwell shows us differences between Asian math systems and Western math systems, that go a lot deeper than just counting numbers. Gladwell argues that the reason Asians are so good at math is because of the way their system is set up, and the way they are taught. For example, in our counting system we say thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, but in Asian counting systems they would say one ten two, one ten three, one ten four. Therefore, when asked to add something, say like thirteen and fifteen, when an Asian kid says those numbers the equation is already there, as Gladwell says, and they can add it up quicker than someone who has grown up with the western number system. Asian countries have developed a simpler, clearer way of looking at math. Their counting system on its own allows for Asian children to develop a faster way of counting that does not require as much thought and allows them to add and subtract numbers easier. Asian countries have a regularity in the way their numbers are set up and said which in comparison is a great deal more logical than western numbers and counting systems. Because of this Asians are more adept at math, and are able to perform basic functions quicker which puts them at a huge advantage. The Asian mathematical system is clearer, with set patterns which makes it easier for children to pick up on and grasp concepts, which in turn translates into them performing well in math classes. It is more literal, and logical. The reason that western children struggle so much with math is because the number system is inconsistent, it has no real patterns, and it does not necessarily make sense in basic terms. In Outliers, Gladwell talks about the disenchantment western children feel towards math at the beginning of third and fourth grade. This disenchantment can be added up to the fact that to young children, the math doesn’t seem to make sense since it is so inconsistent. Gladwell goes onto state that this is not nearly as big of a problem in Asian cultures because “Asian children by contrast don’t feel nearly the same bafflement. They can hold more numbers in their heads and do calculations faster, and the way fractions are expressed in their language corresponds exactly to the way a fraction actually is…”. He then brings up the point that because Asian children are not as confused by math, it allows them to enjoy it more which in turn encourages them to try harder and take more advanced math classes. The Asian counting system allows for children to make sense of the numbers, see the patterns outlined clearly and figure out the equations they are given. They can see the logic behind the numbers, this is why it seems that Asians have a bigger edge when it comes to math.
To connect this all together, Gladwell translated this careful and attentive care to rice paddies as to why Asian children seem to be so good at math.

Gladwell states that “being good at math may also be rooted in a groups culture.”. The translation between math and rice paddies is rooted mainly in the simple fact that both require hard work and effort, both of which are staples of Asian culture. Both require a certain amount of exertion, of attention, otherwise success is not possible. The Asian counting system may make number patterns easier, and because of this it makes Asian students more interested because they understand it better, but it also creates a drive to work hard, to try because they know that the equations they are given are solvable. It symbolizes that even if it does not make sense at first, the more you work at it the more likely you are to pick up on the patterns and see what is going on. Conversely this same concept applies to rice paddies as well. Farmers pay careful, close attention to their rice paddies. They calculate how much water, fertilizer, clay, and soil the paddy needs and at what time, and so forth. Gladwell says in Outliers that “Throughout history, not surprisingly, the people who grow rice have always worked harder than almost any other kind of farmer.” Rice farmers work hard, and because of this are more driven to continue to work hard to reap the benefits. A rice farmer who works hard, who pays attention to their crop and watches it,

making notes and fixing things where needed, will not fail to yield a successful crop year. And the more he does it, the more techniques he picks up on, the more his product quality will continue to increase. This is a groundbreaking idea, one that shows with logic, practice, and hard work you can be successful. It is not just the easy patterns and basic concepts that create success in math, it is the willingness to work out the problem, to try and continue to try until you come up with the right answer. Same goes with rice farmers, it is not just the tools you are given, but the amount of dedication and care you put into your work that will make you successful. Gladwell presented the study that if you are told you can do it and given the basic tools, even if it takes more of a conscious effort, you can achieve.
The correlation between rice paddies and math tests was so intriguing because it outlined that while success can be rooted in your cultural legacies and what kind of environment you grow up in, it can also be rooted in your dedication, your willingness to persevere and strive to accomplish. I think that this was the most intriguing case study in the book because it provided real world examples and connections that in all truths, I never would have thought to put together. Gladwell showed that the rice farmers success and what made Asian students so successful in math was the basic willingness to work harder to achieve. The comparisons between the two were very well presented, and it provided real world connections with theories that Gladwell aimed and succeeded to prove. Success can be rooted in a culture, but it is not necessarily always the case. The point is that success is your dedication to working hard and achieving. Gladwell uses the quote “No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich” as the opening to his chapter on rice paddies and math tests, and I believe it to be true. That quote, used later in the chapter, shows that achievement wholly correlates to the willingness to work for success.