Success is something that many people aspire to as they become the person they want to be. Success is not just an equation that can be plugged into a calculator. To get to what an individual calls “success” there are many complex paths to get there. What exactly is the definition of success? Malcolm Galdwell, the author of Outliers: The Story of Success, never defines his own version of success. After taking time to analyze the book, I have come to see what Gladwell's version of success really is. From what I understand, Gladwell's definition is that success is a combination of opportunity and cultural inheritance leads to wealth or power. Gladwell thinks success is anything but simple. Outliers only tell the stories of people and companies who have made it to money, power, or built an empire. Many of the people used as examples in Outliers, such as the Beatles and Steve Jobs, would be considered great men by most of the world. And the typical Joe? How do you define success? Not all people want money and power. Some simply aspire to a family and a place to live. So what's the difference between a great man, like Steve Jobs, and a good man like the rest of us? Their heritage is what sets them apart. So the real question I hope to answer in this essay is: Is it better to be a good man or a great man? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Malcolm constantly talks about the opportunities that many of the men in his book had that led them to change the world. A good example of this is the 10,000 hour rule, which states that you need to practice for 10,000 hours to master that specific task. One way to understand the 10,000 hour rule is that success is not necessarily about talent but about hard work. An example to support Gladwell's statement is "...I could not find any 'natural' musicians who floated effortlessly to the top while practicing a fraction of the time their peers did" (Gladwell 39). The thing that makes great men great is the opportunity to put in those 10,000 hours. Without 10,000 hours of practice we wouldn't have some of today's most famous musicians like the Beatles and even Billie Eilish. Normally one would come across the way in which great men had the opportunity to devote their time. It was a matter of coincidence and timing. The time spent practicing is what makes them “great,” but without it many of the people we know as successful wouldn't even be known. Gladwell talks about how people don't take the opportunities that come their way. Have you ever considered that maybe they are not practicing the things that can be monitored in hours. A good man has an impact on the people around him. They practice loving and helping others throughout their lives because they chose to take this opportunity. Although someone who is called successful may help the world at large, he is not truly felt by those around him. A good scenario is Bill Gates. Bill Gates has 3 children but is also known to be very devoted to his work. His whole world revolves around his work. They may not be the main focus of his life. He loves his children very much but is not always there for them due to his busy work schedule. This consequently leads him to neglect his children and family much more than a good man would. He never had a choice between greatness or just being good. Great men are loved by many people, which forces them to please.