Malcolm Gladwell: Full Exclusive Interview - No Small Endeavor

You may think you know Malcolm Gladwell. He is, after all, a New York Times bestselling author of “Outliers,” “The Tipping Point,” “Blink,” and other books. He’s the host of the wildly popular podcast “Revisionist History.” His work is heralded and his opinion asked by many folks on a wide array of issues. But what makes him so different that he has become one of the most successful journalists of our day?

In this episode, Malcolm tells a host of stories - from receiving endorsement from his mother to cut class, to attending a Mennonite barn-raising with his mathematician father, to spending three days a week in Freudian therapy as a young adult - all which help explain how he became the wildly curious and unpinnable person that he is, bent on getting to the bottom of things.

Production Management and Recording by Harold Rubens

Follow No Small Endeavor

About No Small Endeavor
What does it mean to live a good life? What is true happiness? What are the habits, practices, and dispositions that facilitate human flourishing? Professor Lee C. Camp brings you conversations with those who are taking these questions seriously.

No Small Endeavor began in Nashville as “Tokens Show” in 2008, with quarterly live stage shows exploring theology, social ethics, and human flourishing. The Nashville Scene recognized the show as Nashville’s “Best Local Variety Show” which is a “grass-kicking shredfest” that is a “huge success,” with “genre-bending creativity.”
In 2020 the show began a long-form interview podcast, which led to weekly public radio broadcasts, distributed nationally on PRX.

[kamala]

Beautiful interview!!
Malcolm when he talks makes me think about many untapped places of my mind and thoughts .
Questions were so insightful and humane .
Loved it

[Yesmyjamaica]

I enjoy listening to Malcolm Gladwell. So interesting.Great interview.

[darlafitzpatrick]

I'm a technical writer by trade, and Malcolm's comment that one must first explain the point of playing Monopoly before explaining the rules of the game is SO perfect.

[takkmoran]

This was a good interview and it's too bad more people haven't watched it. Gladwell is always interesting to listen to.

[hawkarae]

Me and Malcolm's parents, we could spark a human revolution.❤❤❤❤

[ourtyive]

Thank you for getting such a good interview with Malcolm Gladwell, good insights on a man who always helps get good insights on everything else!

[helenmary]

you are getting better and better mr.gladwell! and hitch hiking!

[KyChristensen]

Of course his kids sleep well...his voice is so soothing

[BigDiscussions]

I like what Malcolm said about happiness coming in discreet moments from doing things like updating one of his works or exercising versus spending and consumption. I think his statement also implies that the feeling comes and goes.

[lmansur]

Great interview! Loved both questioner and answerer! Primo!! Thank you!!

[mauiflyingdress]

My goodness, I am so impressed with the interviewer. I met Malcom years ago and he is genuine guy. But the interviewer whoever he is (first time here) is better than Joe Rogan.

[newbeginnings]

8:27 He is one of our most brilliant thought provoking thinkers of our time. His hair definitely gives Einstein vibes 😂

[amyannes]

Who is the Mitch Malcom is talking about? I can’t understand his last name.

[gurushishya]

Skip the first 25 minutes, Malcolm’s been interviewed many times, most know about his upbringing by now.

[matthewrinehart]

Monopoly: Malcolm Gladwell Edition. Hasbro make it happen! Of course the tokens would be exclusive to this edition.

[TheVafa]

Malcolm is missing the point regarding the story of the Samaritan. The tale, found in the Bible containing messages from the Creator, resonates deeply with people's hearts. This sets it apart from other stories, such as Aesop's Fables, which convey similar messages but lack the same profound impact.

[EdoRiver]

So bottom line, how many of the audience who have guns or their family members have guns, turned in their firearms. Or bottom line how many of the audience after listening to Malcolm picked up a stranger in need of help and they helped them get out of their problem

[nathaliealcantarana]

45:02 not going to the child’s game as a family defeats the purpose of the reason to have sports as a child.

I have found that church was already completely demolished of how it should be ran unless we speak of Catholicism which still has it right. Not catholic by the way, just making an objective observation.

Sadly, children’s sports is more right than the church itself that seeks money and forces the family to become less about family and more about a self serving emotional experience or worse, a YouTube watching session of listening to your preacher go on for 1-2 hours teaching absolute nothing but what they interpret the Bible to say instead of just reading the Bible straight through like David Pawson did before he died, had his congregation read the Bible straight through.

Children’s sports is centered around the family for a reason. If you get rid of that, you create the sad situation in Nashville where many resteraunts are anti-children.

How weird that anyone would want to separate children from their parents. Worst leave them with a coach alone, removing all things that keep adults in check.

My child is my responsibility, not someone else’s. And being with them and partaking in the activities they find joy in is more important.

Another thing, when you pay someone to coach your kid, they’re not doing you some self sacrificing favor hence the getting paid for it.

When Jesus went around healing people he didn’t charge the people he healed. He had financiers whose talent and service was to finance His ministry.

When a doctor chooses to make less money, yet still makes money off of his trade, he’s not doing anything self sacrificing, he’s doing a transaction. Sure one that is better than getting paid to lie to people for example, but it’s not charity.

Let’s be clear about serving money here, because no matter how nice of an act it sounds like, it’s still serving money and not anywhere close to what Jesus was calling us to.

Being decent is simply decent.

What a low bar
(Rant over)

1:22 💯

[zaphbrox]

I disagree with Gladwell about it being easier to make people laugh. Its all contextual. Try making people in a funeral wake laugh, or someone who is strugglung with 3 jobs, or someone who us down on luck. Similarly try to make people in a comedy club cry. Both are impossible in their own way.

[djimiwreybigsby]

He lost me after his failed attempt to discredit Douglas Murray
Kind of hard to shed the asshole badge once you've pinned it to yourself