The auther, Malcom Gladwell, begins by telling the stories of the hush puppie revival and the dramatic crime drop in New York City in the 1990's. He calls these epedemics. He's hypothesis is that sometimes big changes follow small events, not all change is gradual. He speeks of these sudden changes as epidemics. The three charicteristics of epidemics are contagiousness, the fact that little causes can have big effects, and that change happens not gradually but in one dramatic moment, called the tipping point. This interests me to a point but at the same time some of the things he says don't seem so suprising to me. Trends are somthing that aren't very dificult to spot, but so far I have found it satisfying that the auther looks at trends from a birds eye view. It would be interesting to know how popular things first became popular.
The idea that we as humans are so mallable, that simply hearing a word triggers some sort of emotion, makes me wonder how real the things we feel and think are. It's really quite strange to think about.
Me
me
Orange
Orange Jungle Cat
Emily's face
Isabel and I
About Me
Chealsey
Carly
Caaaaaaaly
david and emily
Happy B-day Big D!
3 comments:
I am the exact opposite, I can never see trends forming; I just see them after they're here. I kind of wish I had that knack.
It's sort of a dissappointment though. At thomas worthington high school, everyday all the girls wore outfits that were very similar, they did their hair the same ways, they all looked the same. It is sad to see all these people, born individuals, traveling in herds. Sure, there are the few exceptions. And I've found that the people who are able to be more themselves, are so interesting. I wonder if maybe they think about things more deeplythan most. Maybe they question their actions and their invironment, and actually come up with their own oppinions. I've always done this, question things, but i didn't think my introverted qualities caused me to be strange the way i am. I think that the increased mallability or the majority of the population and the lack of independent thought might even be part of the problem with linworth, the lack of action in town meeting and in other things.
people arn't comeing up with original ideas. I could be so wrong, i usually am, but some people seem to aquire opinions from other people and accept the reasoning of others rather than really thinking about things. I used to be this way, but when i began to question one strongly held ideal, i began to see the flaws in others. In my mind the only thing that can save the human race is for people to begin to open their eyes, and begin to imurse thenselves in deeper things, engage in higher thought.
in an eggshell, the marketable fashion trends seem scare to me and echoe our need for a widespread awakening of mind, and a new societal idea of what is of true value, and what is just superficial stimulation.
EDIT-I think that the increased mallability of the vast majority of the population, and the lack of independent thought, might even somehow relate to the problems At the Linworth AP, the lack of action in town meeting and in other things.
....human race is for people to begin to open their eyes, and begin to immurse themselves...
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