Final Essay
The Small Changes Could Make a Big Difference in People´s Lives in a Positive Way If They Are Able to Modify Their Habitual Behavior.
Why people behave the way the do is a controversial subject because there are a lot of different opinions about it. One of these opinions is exposed in the book “The Tipping Point” in the chapter “How little things make a big difference”. The author, Malcolm Gladwell argues that immediate environment influences people’s behavior. Based on this, the author presents evidence and ultimately argues that readers could modify their behavior with small changes and these could have positive or negative results. In addition to this direct support, Gladwell tries to indirectly advance his argument by using a number of persuasive strategies.
Gladwell specifically mentions a piece of evidence to support his main argument when he shows the readers the NYC subway transformation study. The subway director David Gunn implemented graffiti-cleaning stations to remove graffiti from New York subways cars. Gunn mentions that this is a good example of how people can change their behavior influenced by small factors. He says that when people look the city clean of graffiti the crime decreases. He also presents the Zimbardo study. This study shows how people are influenced by their surroundings and the personalities around them. In a short of the time the guards of the prison became sadistic and the prisoners became depressed and showed signs of stress. This example show how people act in a certain way depending on their environment. In addition Gladwell shows the readers Samaritan study. This shows that the actual contents of your thoughts are less important than the immediate behavior. One group of students were sent to pass next to a traveler who has been beaten and robbed and left for dead by the side of the road. And then they suppose to help him. However, the factor of the time, because they were in hurry, influenced their behavior.
Why people behave the way the do is a controversial subject because there are a lot of different opinions about it. One of these opinions is exposed in the book “The Tipping Point” in the chapter “How little things make a big difference”. The author, Malcolm Gladwell argues that immediate environment influences people’s behavior. Based on this, the author presents evidence and ultimately argues that readers could modify their behavior with small changes and these could have positive or negative results. In addition to this direct support, Gladwell tries to indirectly advance his argument by using a number of persuasive strategies.
Gladwell specifically mentions a piece of evidence to support his main argument when he shows the readers the NYC subway transformation study. The subway director David Gunn implemented graffiti-cleaning stations to remove graffiti from New York subways cars. Gunn mentions that this is a good example of how people can change their behavior influenced by small factors. He says that when people look the city clean of graffiti the crime decreases. He also presents the Zimbardo study. This study shows how people are influenced by their surroundings and the personalities around them. In a short of the time the guards of the prison became sadistic and the prisoners became depressed and showed signs of stress. This example show how people act in a certain way depending on their environment. In addition Gladwell shows the readers Samaritan study. This shows that the actual contents of your thoughts are less important than the immediate behavior. One group of students were sent to pass next to a traveler who has been beaten and robbed and left for dead by the side of the road. And then they suppose to help him. However, the factor of the time, because they were in hurry, influenced their behavior.