Tipping Point

Tipping Point: Law of the Few

            Malcolm Gladwell describes the Law of the Few as being an epidemic that is spread like a disease or socially “the success of any kind of social epidemic is dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of gifts” (Gladwell, 33). So, it only takes a few to spread something into an epidemic. He started his examples of the Law of the Few with the Hush Puppies shoe. It was just a few people trying to be different from everyone else and surprisingly started a new social epidemic. My father actually owned two pairs of Hush Puppies; he wore them only when he went out. Gladwell mentions in chapter one, “In this case, it’s not sexual appetites that set them apart. It’s things like how sociable they are, or how energetic or knowledgeable or influential among their peers” (Gladwell, 21). Back to the Hush Puppies example, it said that the small group of people were just trying to be different and not start a fashion trend, but to me in some ways I feel they were trying to make a fashion statement. In the example it said these people were wearing them to the clubs and walking the streets in them, so to me it’s like they were sporting the shoes to say hey look at me I have something that you don’t. I could be wrong and those people were just trying to wear something other than what everyone else was. I also thought about did those certain people stop wearing those shoes because everyone else was wearing them or did they continue to wear them. I remember in high school all the girls had Louis Vuitton and Coach Purses. So, to be different I got a Kathy Van Zeeland purse and literally a week later I saw two girls with the same exact one I had and them about five or six girls with the name brand. Then, by the end of the year a large number of girls had the name brand. I had one girl tell me that because of me I started a trend. So, in some ways I feel like I was the few that started the Hush Puppies trend, of course it was a worldwide trend but big enough to have a lot of girls in high school to own one.

            The example that he used about how some diseases spread like wildfire was shocking. How fast things spread through communities was mind blowing. It said that the spring/summer seasons were prime time for the disease to because everyone is out and about at the clubs and bars. This made me think of how during the winter time is when a lot of babies are conceived. It was disturbing and gross because if you think about everyone is ultimately connected somehow. Gladwell explains how connectors help contribute to the Law of the Few. It is crazy how in some way we are all connected. I met through my boyfriend through my next door neighbor who was dating his cousin. I know have so many other connections to different people and its weird sometimes how connected people really are and we don’t even know it, until we piece the puzzle together.  It is through connectors, mavens, and salesmen the Law of the Few is spread.

            The section on mavens had me laughing because I was like this section completely describes me. I always have to research things and try to gain as much knowledge on things, places, and people before I go to/meet them. I had researched all about Rutgers and asked people about Newark before we went there. I had heard things like its rough place to be in, be careful don’t trust anyone, etc. So, as soon as I got to Enterprise (not going to lie) I was one of those people spreading the so called knowledge I had obtained over the past week. Then the part about finding the best deals really resonated with me because I know I am that person. Before going to a restaurant, club, bar, amusement park, hotel, etc. I am always trying to find the best deal; where can I spend the least money. I know I always have coupons or look online to see if there are specials that I can take advantage of. I am always telling people about the things I find, because I feel everyone needs to know about deals that can benefit everyone. Then a salesman, I know I used to be one when I worked at Puma. I mainly worked in the shoe department and I never went a shift without having sold a pair of shoes. I did and said whatever I could to get people to buy shoes. I’m not proud of lying to people sometimes, but my mentality was it was about the sales; I need to stand out from the rest of my coworkers. I did not want to be another employee, I wanted people to know I strived for the best and it showed because I got two raises within a year for my high percentage in sales. It felt good to know that I was important, that I was contributing to our store doing well.

            The whole concept of the Law of the Few is that it doesn’t take much for something to spread. It is all about how well you can spread something into an epidemic. The only thing I do not stand by with that statement is the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases. So, we as leaders, citizens, and communities we need to stop living in the cycle of cynicism and be the ones that start the Law of the Few with our messages, hopes, dreams, and visions.