The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Monday, February 12, 2018

Have you ever been interested in the ways how ideas spread? What does it take for an idea to spread and be followed by hundreds of people? Why some ideas spread so easily, while others, even very good ones, do not? If you have questioned those things, it is worth to take a look at the book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell.

In his book, the author explains why particular ideas, products, and behaviors spread similar to epidemics. He also emphasizes that there are ways to consciously trigger and control such epidemics. If you do want to make a big difference, this is a good place to start.

The book gives a clear picture of such phenomenon as social epidemics and suggests ways to take control over those. It would certainly be useful for those of you who are working in advertising and marketing spheres, but it can also inspire specialists of other fields and those who are interested in sociology and so-called crowd psychology.

There are some bright examples given in the book, which help to illustrate the way social epidemics spread. Listen to the summary at Blinkist.

How Ideas Spread

Connect yourself with like minded people

If you are questioning life and searching for opportunities to change the world and make a big difference then you should get yourself familiar with some social processes and the ways ideas spread. It is important if you want people to listen to you and to open their mind and heart to your ideas and thoughts.

First of all, if you are about to organize a club, community or company to follow and spread your ideas - but remember to keep it small. It has been proven that only groups of maximum 150 people are capable of dynamic development which will then result in spreading your ideas beyond the group in the future.

Secondly, you should be aware of the fact that ideas spread the same way as epidemics. There is something like a tipping point, and once the tipping point threshold was crossed, it becomes an epidemic.

All lead companies and the most popular brands are all aware of these processes. That is why they structure their advertising campaigns accordingly. It has nothing to do with a quality or characteristics of a given product. It is all about the way you introduce something and spread the information about it, which can make is a bestseller and a real sensation. Listen to the book at Audible.

What Types of People Are Capable of Spreading Ideas

Creative and positive people can make ideas spread

The key factor is, of course, a very human factor. As Malcolm Gladwell, the author of “The Tipping Point” emphasizes, there are people who are born Salesmen.

There are people who have it in their genes. It seems to be true, even though there are some qualities which can certainly be gained through learning and training.

So, how to use the human factor if you are planning to make a big difference? It is vital to involve some “key” people. Those are individuals with vast social networks, with active life position.

There should also be so-called “mavens”, people who collect information and share it with others. Those must be reliable people with a good reputation and strong personality.

If you have those people engaged in whatever you are doing, you are most likely to reach your goals in spreading your ideas. With the help of these people, you can raise people’s awareness of the issues which have to be solved and draw their attention to potential solutions.

If you really want to make a big difference you should start with yourself and close people who will be supporting you on the way.

How to Make a Big Difference

Make a big difference with your ideas

You might be thinking big and having big plans and ambitions. However, that alone is not enough to make a big difference. It will require an innovative approach, deep analysis of data and creative thinking.

If you want to make this world a better place, start small. Look inside yourself, the way you tackle things, the way you treat people and make decisions.

Get rid of negative thoughts, avoid people spreading those thoughts constantly. Change your mindset, and then start making your big dreams come true.

If you have a deep understanding of the ways how ideas spread and how social epidemics work, you can start putting your plan into action.

With some support from people who share your ideas, you will be able to change the attitude which society has towards certain issues. By changing the attitude, you will be able to change the way to solve those issues, because the more people will be aware of the situation, the more ideas and solutions will be presented.

This will increase your chances to succeed. This is why it is vital to study social epidemics because it will help you understand how the collective mind works and how the crowd psychology can help you spread your ideas.