The Big Man Can't Shoot

In this episode, Malcolm Gladwell tells us how the spread of ideas depends upon the openness or the threshold of the individual to accept the idea rather than how rational the idea is. I liked how the threshold argument brings back a degree of responsibility back to the individual actor. He tells us that mob mentality can't be an excuse. That being swayed has to do with how high or low our individual thresholds are. But I didn't quite get the difference between thresholds and peer pressure as even if every one has a different threshold, aren't thresholds also influenced by the others around me?

In the podcast, Malcolm Gladwell tells us that we often times do things that are irrational even though we are aware of it. To illustrate his point he uses the free throw and the NFL draft as examples.

I thought that with the free throw example, Malcolm Gladwell takes too much of a scientist's view of sports. I think he missed how sports is a competition and also at the same time a show. The reaction of the crowd seems to me an essential and natural aspect of sports itself just like the way we review movies or any TV show. If sports was solely about efficiency, players would never even practice dunks or do anything fancy.

Why would anyone go for a dunk when a normal layup achieves the same result and takes up less energy. People want to be "oohed and ahhed" and brought to their feet by some ridiculously cool move and that's why they're watching the game in the first place. I think people would rather see the player who loses, but shows them awesome moves, then the team that wins by strategically planning everything and not really giving much of a performance.  Sports stats are one thing and the number of crowd on their feet is perhaps another. (though most often than not most teams and players that show us the cool moves usually do win the game and have great stats as well) This aspect is something I think Malcolm Gladwell overlooked in his argument.

But, at the same time I do see how wanting to be cool can be problematic to a player who doesn't yet have the basics, but practices only the fancy looking maneuvers.
Playing basketball I always wanted to start with the shooting, the moves that can make me get a few points rather than doing the boring dribbling or basic passing practice.
(Below is an advertisement I was reminded of)