What I’m (Re) Reading: The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell

I read this book 3 years ago when I was first exploring Gladwell’s work. At the time I wasn’t all that interested in the implications of the book but found it to be a good read. Now, I don’t typically re-read books. I can’t say there’s any specific reasoning, I just never find myself inclined to. But the more I dive into my recent obsessions with marketing, storytelling, and social science the more I keep coming around to Gladwell’s book. I want to see if my perspective on the book and its ideas have changed. Maybe I’ll find something new, maybe I’ll hate it, or maybe it will just be a reminder of a good read. In any case, I’m excited to find out.

What I’m Pondering: Mismatched Results

It’s really easy to derive progress from measurement. Data tells a story. Often a very clear story. But sometimes the data doesn’t reflect how you feel. When we follow the diet and exercise we expect the numbers on the scale to go down. We feel lighter. We feel more confident. But what happens when that number doesn’t go down? Or worse the number goes up? What do you do when your faith and feeling aren’t aligned with the numbers? We could change the system. Experiment for success. Or maybe redefine our goals. Perhaps we decide the feeling is more important than the scale. Or is it that we need to measure differently? Every answer is a path. But what is the path for you?

The Quote I’m Considering:

“If more information was the answer then we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs” – Derek Sivers

This is a trap I get caught in a lot. I trick myself into believing that if I just do more research or read another book then everything will change, the world will become clear. But change can only occur through motion. Learning is one of my favorite things, but what good is all of that knowledge if we don’t use it.