The Art of Failure by Malcolm Gladwell Article Analysis

📌Category: Articles
📌Words: 875
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 11 February 2022

Malcolm Gladwell's essay "The Art of Failure" defines "choking" and "panicking" in a stressful scenario. Gladwell began to illustrate his writing by telling us other people's tales, such as those of Jana Novotna and John F. Kennedy Jr., to mention a few. Gladwell begins by relating the story of Jana Novotna, a professional tennis player who acquired tension when she saw who her opponent was, as she was on the verge of winning the championship; she lost it when "choking" took over her. Gladwell engages the reader with a back and forth of various examples of what it looks like to choke and panic, as well as research that challenges the reader to compare concepts in ways that were not requested of them. Gladwell has educated individuals on how to know what transpired in the event that such a circumstance arises. Gladwell highlighted in Choking that individuals frequently think a lot yet have little control over their actions in a given situation. Gladwell has stated that when individuals are in a state of panic, they tend to forget everything and seek for ways that might save them. Gladwell has also demonstrated the distinction between the two terms.

This article's takeaway is extensive, as stated by Gladwell in terms of the numerous scenarios. Individuals should think about the numerous times in their lives when they thought they panicked and when they didn't think they panicked. This is done to figure out what truly happened. It's also an informative article that explains what caused these catastrophes or the source of dread. It's a textbook case of real terror in the face of utter anarchy, with subsequent research digging deep into it. When you panic under pressure, your mind might wander everywhere and everywhere, making things tough in the present moment and causing you to collapse. Malcolm Gladwell simply gave me the impression that the entire takeaway of the article is how we can remember certain things and play cool under pressure, despite the fact that in the situations he gave, it's normal to "choke" or be stressed because it's a part of being human and builds character as the nervous system triggers our brains. “We have to learn that sometimes a poor performance reflects not the innate ability of the performer but the complexion of the audience; and that sometimes a poor test score is the sign not of a poor student but of a good one.”

I learnt that being caught up about something that frightens me is just a human response and a function of how our thoughts work. I also learnt that just because you make a mistake doesn't imply you weren't competent enough at what you were doing; it just happened in a different situation. Sometimes these things happen because we feel compelled to do better than usual, especially when there is a lot at stake. However, reading this article helped me understand that there is a lot more to life than being concerned about little matters that may only have a short-term impact. Without such thoughts, life might be better for mankind, and it enhances people's capacity to perform what they need to do. One of my favorite performers, for example, is Mariah the Scientist. She is a fantastic vocalist, but when she performs live, she gets uncomfortable and tends to laugh or just "choke" throughout her songs, much like Summer Walker. Learning that we all experience stress and pressure opens us the possibility of embarking on and completing a quest to become better or merely decrease the blows.

Applying what I've learned from this article might be a useful tool, as I should breathe in and out and relax in preparation for whatever comes next. I'm an actress, and I'm accustomed to having cameras in my face, but I'm afraid of "choking" since this play, "I and You," is coming up soon, and I've never actually been in plays before. It's the fear of messing up and not being able to undo what you've just done since it undermines the entire point of the game. So, after reading this post, I decided to keep my calm and act as if there was a camera in front of my face. I feel anxious when I know I know the line, but I forget occasionally while rehearsing in front of my director. Being harsh on oneself is also a terrible thing, as I tend to do when I consider how I could've done better, and after reading this post, I felt better knowing that I practice hard and work hard simply to do properly, and it's not my fault. To summarize, I will apply myself to take care of myself psychologically when I choke and understand that everything is OK and that I will overcome it since it is what people do.

Reading about how tension, panic, and turmoil were all around me felt familiar. Personally, I loved the story since I find it intriguing how we all go through similar experiences. Many people experience many emotions and may never know how to deal with them, which astounds me. I also enjoy how we may improve in these tough situations. Instead of the numerous examples, Malcolm Gladwell might have provided me with more strategies to help better how individuals may move away from that emotion. The scenarios were a wonderful illustration of people who became stressed and frightened, but I would have liked to see more detail on how it might be addressed. If Gladwell had done that, the entire piece would have been a 10/10 in my view. In conclusion, the essay is still excellent, but it might need a few more components and less examples.

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