This podcast by Malcolm Gladwell titled ” The Big Man Can’t Shoot” talks about the concept on why good ideas and why they are so difficult to spread. They give perfect examples using famous basketball players and there method of shooting that nobody wants to use to this day. So why don;t people want to change if it can make them better? That’s the big question of this podcast. How do beliefs differ from thresholds. What encourages people to things opposite of their beliefs? Whats their motivators, their beliefs, and their concepts.
Gladwell starts by talking about one of the greatest basketball players Wilt Chamberlain, standing at 7 feet and 1 inch at 275 pounds. Most lengthy NBA players are clumsy and only serve defense purposes, but not Chamberlain. Chamberlain was a impeccable shooter, the season of 1961-1962 he averages 50 points a game. A record that will never has never been beat. Wilt even shot a solid 100 point game while being hungover. What makes him different from other tall players? Why aren’t other tall players good at shooting free throws? The answer is because Wilt Chamberlain shoots his free throws underhand, rather then the traditional overhand. Very few players shoot like this, Rick Barry, George Johnson, and of course Wilt Chamberlain. As well as 2 college basketball players being Rick Berry’s son and another player from a different continent.
So why, why don’t more players use this shooting method. A method that is a more natural movement for your hands, gives a softer touch on the ball, and clearly tested to work more efficiently. People simply do not like shooting under hand because it is not the traditional way of shooting and they are scared of looking stupid. There belief is that shooting overhand is only the right way. The threshold is shooting underhand, not caring about beliefs and doing whats good for you to make yourself a better player. Essential changing an aspect of the game. So what the difference between beliefs and the threshold?
As sociologist Granovetter explains that beliefs are an internal, and thresholds are external. Thresholds you are inspired by what is around you, how people around you act, and any other external motivators. Granovetter used riots as an example, people know they shouldn;t be throwing rocks threw windows. But when they see other people throw rocks they get inspired to do, and when that rock goes through the feel a sense of power.
So I believe that people don’t like to try other good things because they don’t want to ruin there beliefs. Also they are scared of being judged and looked at differently even if it will benefit them. Thus is why people should try to find that threshold for collective behavior. So they can open their minds into other ways of doing good and might even find a even better way to do it. Sometimes your beliefs aren’t always the best way, many times there are other ways of doing good in a more effective manner.
Inside Alex Milewski's Brain 