The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.
– Rene Descartes.
One of the things I often struggle with is remembering the contents of a book I’ve read. While reading, I frequently think, “Wow, this is such an amazing book. This chapter is just wow – I should implement this in my life,” and so on. However, if you ask me to provide a one-page summary of the book after a month or two, it’s very hard to recall all that knowledge. At best, I could manage one paragraph max. I’ve been wanting to change this habit and thought, “Why not just write a small blog post whenever I read something interesting?” If I write things down, I will remember them more, and I can revisit the gist of what I liked later on. It’s a win-win scenario for me.
Recently, a friend gifted me ‘Outliers‘ by Malcolm Gladwell. The book delves into the factors contributing to high levels of success, including opportunities, cultural background, and practice. It challenges the notion that success is solely the result of individual talent or merit, offering insights into fostering a culture of success. An interesting concept introduced early in the book is “The Matthew Effect.”
What is the ‘Matthew Effect’?
For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
– Gospel of Matthew, The Bible
Imagine there are two friends, Sarah and Tom, who both like to play soccer. Sarah lives right next to a big park where many soccer games happen every day, and her parents can afford to buy her nice soccer gear and pay for extra coaching sessions. Tom, on the other hand, lives far away from the park, and his family can’t afford to buy him expensive gear or pay for coaching.
At first, both Sarah and Tom enjoy playing soccer, but because Sarah lives near the park and has better gear and coaching, she gets really good at it. She starts getting picked for teams and winning trophies. Because she’s winning, people notice her more, and she gets even more chances to play and improve.
Meanwhile, Tom, who lives far from the park and doesn’t have as good gear or coaching, finds it harder to keep up. He might not get picked for teams as often, so he doesn’t get as much practice or chances to improve. As a result, he falls behind compared to Sarah.
The Matthew effect is kind of like a snowball rolling downhill. Sarah started with a little advantage of living near the park and having better gear, and that advantage kept growing bigger and bigger as she got more opportunities to play and improve. But for Tom, who started with less, it became harder and harder to catch up because he didn’t get those same chances. The Matthew effect teaches us that small advantages or disadvantages can add up over time, affecting your opportunities and outcomes.
How do I interpret it in my daily lives?
We should strive to be more aware of our surroundings and appreciate what we have. Focusing on your strengths and understanding your weaknesses can lead to significant advantages.
If you are in a situation where you have access to good education, supportive family or opportunities to pursue your interests. Identifying them and working on them can give you a much bigger boost than you can imagine. These advantages can help you succeed, but it’s also important to use them wisely and not take them for granted.
On the other hand, if you’re facing challenges or disadvantages, it’s essential to know that you’re not alone and that it’s possible to overcome them. Even though it might seem difficult, small steps forward can make a big difference over time. Seek out support from others, set goals, and work hard towards achieving them.
Ultimately, understanding the Matthew effect reminds us to be mindful of the opportunities and challenges we encounter in life and to strive for fairness and equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their starting point!
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