Tipping Point Ever Wondered Why

¶ … Tipping Point

Ever wondered why some ideas or products catch on while others don't? Ever thought about what causes social behavior or attitudes to change all of a sudden? Ever wished that it was possible to mastermind radical change in the world? Malcolm Gladwell provides answers to these and other related questions in the Tipping Point. Based on a simple idea, the Tipping Point is a book that thoroughly analyzes the manner in which trends develop. As Gladwell notes in his introduction, "the idea is very simple... The best way to understand the emergence of... trends...or any number of the mysterious changes that mark everyday life is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and...behaviors spread just like viruses do." (p. 7)

In support of his theory, Gladwell analyzes the inexplicable revival of the Hush Puppies brand and the sudden, dramatic decline in New York City's crime rate in the 1990s to explain why a parallel can be drawn between trends and viruses. As he points out, both types of social epidemics can be seen to share three remarkably common characteristics with common viruses such as the flu or measles: contagiousness; little causes that had big effects; and change that took place not gradually but at one dramatic point. Further, Gladwell suggests that, of the three characteristics, the third or the idea that epidemics can rise or fall in one dramatic moment is the most important since it helps explain the first two and provides the greatest insight into why modern change occurs the way it does. Indeed, this is precisely why Gladwell has chosen to single out this characteristic by branding it and his book as the "Tipping Point."(p. 9)

According to Gladwell, it is possible to deliberately start and control positive epidemics by studying the causes or changes that make epidemics tip. Gladwell defines these agents of change as the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context (p. 14-19). In fact, most of the book is devoted to explaining the nature of these change agents and the precise manner in which they work.

Indeed, this is one of the strengths of the book because Gladwell does not merely theorize about the manner in which these change agents make epidemics tip. Instead, he uses a wide range of case studies, which he draws from diverse arenas of life such as business, criminology, television, and fashion, to both develop and explain his theory. To illustrate, he even goes to the extent of explaining how the suicide act can, and does, become contagious (p. 222-227). In addition, he draws upon several theories and research studies from the fields of psychology and sociology to explain in-depth why people respond the way they do to the defined change agents.

For instance, he defines the Law of the Few as "exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics." (p. 132) These exceptional people could be "connectors" or persons with a special gift for bringing the world together; "mavens" or people who are socially motivated, information specialists; or "salesmen," namely, people who can exercise their persuasion powers to tip word-of-mouth epidemics (p.38, 59-60, 70). However, these definitions emerge only after Gladwell has taken his reader through a convincing explanation of the role that the Law of the Few played in, for example, spreading syphilis in Baltimore or establishing Hush Puppies as a fashion statement. But perhaps Gladwell's use of Paul Revere's midnight ride to Lexington to establish the role played by "connectors" and "mavens" is the most effective, by far, in demonstrating the veracity of the Law of the Few.

Similarly, Gladwell analyzes the success of the educational television shows, Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, to effectively highlight how simple changes in the presentation and structuring of information can make a big difference in making a contagious message memorable and start an epidemic. By using these and other examples such as Wunderman's use of the "Gold Box" in the TV commercials for Columbia Record Club, Gladwell drives home the point that the Stickiness Factor can help create and tip an action trend in favor of envisaged goals. As he points out, "We all want to believe that the key to making an impact...lies with the inherent quality of the ideas we present. But in none of these cases did anyone substantially alter the content of what they were saying. Instead, they tipped the message by tinkering...." (p. 131)

Gladwell brings out the importance of small, but significant, detail in addressing the Power of Context as well, which he says is important because epidemics are sensitive to environmental conditions and circumstances (p.139). In fact, he theorizes that the factors, which worked in bringing about a reversal in New York City's horrific crime rate, were steps such as scrubbing off the graffiti on the subway and arresting fare-beaters. Using the Broken Windows theory as support, Gladwell states, "...what really matters is little things.... The Power of Context says you don't have to solve the big problems to solve crime...crime epidemics have Tipping Points every bit as simple and straightforward as syphilis in Baltimore...." (p. 151)

Thus, Gladwell effectively establishes that it is the attention to detail or the little things that can make all the difference in successfully setting off a trend or tipping an epidemic. Such attention to detail also includes meticulous attention to the tracking and understanding of human behavioral concepts and trends. Indeed, without the latter, it would not be possible to engineer the tipping of any positive epidemic either in business or in social life. In fact, herein lies the value of Gladwell's theory of the "Tipping Point." for, it explains why the best laid plans often fail to work. They fail because they rely on big ideas and preconceived notions to solve problems. Whereas, as Gladwell has shown, the world does not always act in accordance with our intuition. Therefore, it becomes important to test our theories and intuition: "That no one responded to Kitty Genovese's screams sounded like an open-and-shut case of human indifference, until careful psychological testing demonstrated the powerful influence of context." (p. 258).