The Rich Roll Podcast Malcolm Gladwell Is Lord Of All Things Overlooked and Misunderstood
Malcolm Gladwell, a journalist and bestselling author, joins the conversation to dive into the limits of human performance and the cultural impact of athletes. He shares his insights on reimagining sports for inclusivity and lifelong engagement. The discussion also touches on historical moments of athletic activism, showcasing athletes blending intellect with sport. Gladwell critiques traditional performance metrics and advocates for a healthier approach, emphasizing the importance of personal well-being over accolades in both sports and education.
01:59:45
Reimagine Youth Sports
- Restructure youth sports scoring to emphasize participation over individual performance.
- Prioritize broader team involvement, making every member's contribution valuable.
Prioritizing the Base
- Sports organizations often prioritize elite athletes over expanding the sport's base.
- We need to consider who sports truly serve and prioritize the ordinary athlete.
LeBron's Endurance
- Malcolm Gladwell challenged LeBron James to a mile race to prove basketball's evolution into an aerobic sport.
- Gladwell believed LeBron's endurance was underestimated and a race would highlight this.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
Exploring the Depths of Storytelling and History
02:37 • 2min
Activism in Sports: A Historical Perspective
04:26 • 6min
Rethinking Competition in Sports
10:31 • 9min
Transforming Athletic Expectations
19:53 • 15min
Legacy of Speed: The Sprinters' Protest of 1968
34:25 • 5min
Athletic Triumph Amid Social Turmoil
39:47 • 2min
The Intersection of Eyewear and Athletic Performance
42:10 • 2min
The Olympic Legacy of Protest
44:16 • 18min
Athletes in the Age of Activism
01:02:33 • 15min
Redefining Athletic Performance
01:17:45 • 10min
Mastering the Art of Interviewing and Storytelling
01:27:32 • 18min
Redefining Greatness and Health in Sports
01:45:04 • 13min
Exploring Unique Educational Environments and Future Projects
01:57:47 • 3min
#166
• Mentioned in 84 episodes
The Tipping Point
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell examines the phenomenon of social epidemics and how ideas, products, and behaviors spread rapidly.
He introduces three key principles: the law of the few (the role of connectors, mavens, and salespeople in spreading ideas), the stickiness factor (how messages or trends must be memorable to spread), and the power of context (how environment and circumstances influence human behavior).
Gladwell uses various examples, such as the rise in popularity of Hush Puppies shoes, the decline in New York City's crime rate, and the success of children's TV programs like Sesame Street, to illustrate these concepts.
The book provides insights into how small changes can lead to large-scale social and behavioral transformations.
#691
• Mentioned in 30 episodes
David and Goliath
Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
Malcolm Gladwell
In 'David and Goliath', Malcolm Gladwell challenges conventional wisdom about obstacles and disadvantages.
He uses the biblical story of David and Goliath as a starting point to explore various cases where underdogs have triumphed over more powerful opponents.
The book delves into topics such as the benefits of 'desirable difficulties', the impact of dyslexia on successful individuals, and the dynamics of successful and unsuccessful strategies in different contexts, including warfare, education, and social movements.
Gladwell argues that what appears to be a weakness can often be a strength, and that too much power or advantage can sometimes be counterproductive.
#74
• Mentioned in 135 episodes
Outliers
The Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell
In 'Outliers: The Story of Success', Malcolm Gladwell examines the often-overlooked factors that contribute to high levels of success.
He argues that success is not solely the result of individual talent or hard work, but rather is influenced by a complex web of advantages and inheritances, including cultural background, family, generation, and luck.
The book delves into various examples, such as the success of Bill Gates, the Beatles, and Canadian ice hockey players, to illustrate how these factors play a crucial role.
Gladwell also discusses the '10,000-hour rule' and the impact of cultural legacies on behavior and success.
The book is divided into two parts: 'Opportunity' and 'Legacy', each exploring different aspects of how success is achieved and maintained.
#349
• Mentioned in 49 episodes
Blink
The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell
In 'Blink', Malcolm Gladwell explores the concept of 'thin-slicing', the ability of our unconscious mind to make rapid decisions based on limited information.
The book delves into both the strengths and pitfalls of this process, using examples from various fields such as psychology, medicine, sales, and law enforcement.
Gladwell discusses how these snap judgments can be both incredibly accurate and sometimes tragically wrong, influenced by factors like prejudice, stereotypes, and psychological priming.
He also examines how experts develop their intuitive judgment through experience and training, and how stressful situations can affect our decision-making abilities.
#60
• Mentioned in 147 episodes
Voicing Change
Rich Roll
Voicing Change is a culmination of Rich Roll's eight-year journey of interviewing unique thinkers and visionaries on his acclaimed podcast.
The book distills the collective wisdom from these conversations into thoughtful essays and first-person wisdom, focusing on themes of intentional living, life lessons, and enduring inspiration.
#39
• Mentioned in 187 episodes
Finding Ultra
Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Top Ultrarunners
Rich Roll
Finding Ultra recounts Rich Roll’s remarkable journey from an out-of-shape, mid-life couch potato to one of the world’s top ultrarunners.
The book chronicles his battle with alcoholism, his transformation into an elite endurance athlete, and his adoption of a plant-based lifestyle.
It includes his experiences in the elite Ultraman competition and the EPIC5, five Ironman-distance triathlons completed in less than a week on different Hawaiian islands.
The revised and updated edition provides practical tools, practices, and strategies for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, making it a guide for anyone seeking to transform their life through self-discovery and a healthier lifestyle.
#650
• Mentioned in 31 episodes
Talking to Strangers
What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
In 'Talking to Strangers', Malcolm Gladwell delves into the challenges and misunderstandings that occur when we interact with people we do not know.
The book explores various high-profile cases, such as the death of Sandra Bland, the deceptions of Bernie Madoff, and the interactions between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
Gladwell argues that our default assumption to trust strangers until proven otherwise often leads to disastrous outcomes.
He discusses the 'default to truth' theory and how our perceptions of strangers can be skewed by preconceived notions and stereotypes.
The book provides insights into human psychology and communication, highlighting the importance of being aware of our assumptions when dealing with strangers.
#78
• Mentioned in 132 episodes
The Plantpower Way
Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes and Guidance for the Whole Family
Julie Piatt
Rich Roll
Created by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt, this book shares their experiences and the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.
It includes a variety of easy-to-prepare whole food recipes, such as hearty breakfasts, lunches, dinners, smoothies, juices, and desserts.
The book is not just a recipe collection but a comprehensive guide to long-term wellness, body, mind, and spirit health, and a celebration of a simple and sustainable lifestyle.
What are the limits of human performance? How can we reimagine sport to boost lifelong adoption? And what is the athlete’s role in moving culture forward?
Today we explore these questions and tons more with the lord of all things overlooked and misunderstood, Malcolm Gladwell.
I suspect most of you are very familiar with Malcolm. Perhaps you’ve listened to his sensational podcast Revisionist History, where every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether our collective stories got it right the first time.
Or maybe you’ve read one of his six New York Times best sellers, such as The Tipping Point,Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers.
Today’s conversation begins with running, extends to sport, broadens into a conversation about the role of athletes in moving society forward, and (of course) unearths other topics overlooked and misunderstood—all in true Gladwellian style.
We talk about his latest podcast, Legacy of Speed, and why this terrain just might be his most Gladwellian project to date.
Malcolm also shares several of his orthogonal ideas around education, publishing, the future of audio, creativity, and many more fascinating topics.
Today’s episode is also viewable on YouTube.
More about Malcom + show notes: https://bit.ly/richroll692a
Malcolm is someone I’ve wanted on the show since day one, and I am thrilled to finally have made it happen.
I hope you enjoy this exchange as much as I was thrilled to host it.
Peace + Plants,
Rich