Malcolm Gladwell

First of all, just to go back on parents for a second. So my father, my father's, can I talk about my dad? Yeah, of course. Talk about your dad. He passed six or seven years ago and I wrote his obituary and I said, he had strong opinions about The Bible, gardening, and mathematics. And on everything else, he was open to suggestion. And I sort of think that's the right model.

First of all, just to go back on parents for a second. So my father, my father's, can I talk about my dad? Yeah, of course. Talk about your dad. He passed six or seven years ago and I wrote his obituary and I said, he had strong opinions about The Bible, gardening, and mathematics. And on everything else, he was open to suggestion. And I sort of think that's the right model.

You've got to have your core set of things that you hold dearly. And I think you should – I always use the phrase that ideas should be held loosely. And they're not values, but ideas. Values you hold tightly, but ideas you hold loosely because stuff changes. And you grow up or you're –

You've got to have your core set of things that you hold dearly. And I think you should – I always use the phrase that ideas should be held loosely. And they're not values, but ideas. Values you hold tightly, but ideas you hold loosely because stuff changes. And you grow up or you're –

You know, in the original Tipping Point, there's a chapter on crime, which is just why New York City crime fell in the 90s. It's an appalling chapter. I mean, it's just appalling.

You know, in the original Tipping Point, there's a chapter on crime, which is just why New York City crime fell in the 90s. It's an appalling chapter. I mean, it's just appalling.

Yes. Jesus. Like, what was I thinking? I mean, I didn't know any better, I guess. But it's not difficult. To me, it's very freeing to say I was wrong.

Yes. Jesus. Like, what was I thinking? I mean, I didn't know any better, I guess. But it's not difficult. To me, it's very freeing to say I was wrong.

Well, I mean, the world, yes, of course the world has changed, although probably changed less than we think. I think sometimes we fetishize... you know, certain kinds of technological innovation and think we've reinvented ourselves as human beings. And it's just, to my mind, a little bit more of the same. But mostly it's that I've moved... Like, the crime example is a good one.

Well, I mean, the world, yes, of course the world has changed, although probably changed less than we think. I think sometimes we fetishize... you know, certain kinds of technological innovation and think we've reinvented ourselves as human beings. And it's just, to my mind, a little bit more of the same. But mostly it's that I've moved... Like, the crime example is a good one.

That I wrote that... Broken Windows was a fetish in New York City in the 90s. The mayor, Giuliani at the time, was like running around and saying... you know, the only way to stop murder was to stop people from peeing on the sidewalk. Now, I think he was right to say that people shouldn't be peeing on the sidewalk and we should clean up. That was totally right.

That I wrote that... Broken Windows was a fetish in New York City in the 90s. The mayor, Giuliani at the time, was like running around and saying... you know, the only way to stop murder was to stop people from peeing on the sidewalk. Now, I think he was right to say that people shouldn't be peeing on the sidewalk and we should clean up. That was totally right.

But he made two subsequent connections. His first thing was that the way to stop people from engaging in that kind of behavior was to arrest them by the thousands. And then secondly, he said, and that's also, by the way, how you stop violent crime. Both of those second claims were, in retrospect, preposterous, right?

But he made two subsequent connections. His first thing was that the way to stop people from engaging in that kind of behavior was to arrest them by the thousands. And then secondly, he said, and that's also, by the way, how you stop violent crime. Both of those second claims were, in retrospect, preposterous, right?

In the moment in the late 90s when we had just witnessed New York go from being one of the least safe big cities in North America to one of the safest, we were sort of willing to accept, to pay any price for that improvement in safety and accept any explanation. And that was the fever that I was caught up in.

In the moment in the late 90s when we had just witnessed New York go from being one of the least safe big cities in North America to one of the safest, we were sort of willing to accept, to pay any price for that improvement in safety and accept any explanation. And that was the fever that I was caught up in.

I was like, okay, we're arresting hundreds of thousands of young black men in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but... Better that than being killed. That's what we were all thinking. And then, you know, I subsequently learned this. It's actually an incredibly interesting history. You know, what happens is a judge Stop Stop and Frisk in New York.

I was like, okay, we're arresting hundreds of thousands of young black men in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but... Better that than being killed. That's what we were all thinking. And then, you know, I subsequently learned this. It's actually an incredibly interesting history. You know, what happens is a judge Stop Stop and Frisk in New York.

We go from stopping 700,000 people in one year to stopping 20,000. And everyone says, including the judge who stopped it, crime's going to go back up. And what happens? Crime falls another 50%. And everyone's like, oh, my God. Not only was Stop and Frisk irrelevant to the crime drop, maybe it was preventing us from using police resources in a way that actually... helped solve.

We go from stopping 700,000 people in one year to stopping 20,000. And everyone says, including the judge who stopped it, crime's going to go back up. And what happens? Crime falls another 50%. And everyone's like, oh, my God. Not only was Stop and Frisk irrelevant to the crime drop, maybe it was preventing us from using police resources in a way that actually... helped solve.