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The works of literature assigned by my high school English teachers usually didn’t make
it onto my list of favorite books. However, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, managed to be an
exception―it shot all the way to the top of the list within the single day that it took me to read it.
Many parts of the book, which is focused on the social science behind success in society, have
stuck with me throughout the two years since I first read it. However, as I’ve been settling into
college and adjusting to my new academic environment, there is one chapter that keeps popping
into my head.
The chapter, titled The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes, centers on Korean Air, an airline
that had an abysmal safety record in the 1980-90s and was at risk of shutting down. The airline’s
problem, though, didn’t lie in the technology or piloting abilities. Rather, it was interwoven with
Korean culture itself. Malcolm introduces the idea of the “Power Distance Index”, a measure of
how much an individual culture recognizes and respects authority. South Korea ranks very high
in this index, as the culture generally disapproves of extensive questioning of authority figures.
Accordingly, the assistant captains and other cockpit members that flew with Korean Air were
afraid of asserting that the pilot was making a mistake or missing something. After a crash
occurs, audio recording of the last couple minutes can often be recovered, and they often would
contain haunting recordings of an assistant captain who had obviously identified a problem, but
refused to state it outright to the captain. Instead, they preferred to offer their caution as a
suggestion or passing remark, which the pilot wouldn’t deem urgent enough to register before the
crash occurred.
Luckily, Korean Air was able to identify this issue1 and conduct specific training in order
to bridge the high power differential. Once an airline culture was established that encouraged
questioning authority and voicing concerns, the company was able to maintain a spotless safety
record and restore its reputation in the international community.
Outliers also identifies America as, unsurprisingly, rather low on this
Power-Distance-Influence, which is in-line with our anti-authority origins and individualistic
culture. Throughout my time in highschool, I never questioned my place in this culture. I didn’t
have any problems with respectfully disagreeing with a teacher, questioning an older teammate,
or offering an alternative idea to an administrator. However, as I’ve continued to adjust to my
new academic and social environment in college, I’ve found that some of this has been lost―I’ll
hesitate before I ask a teacher a question, or think twice before contradicting an idea that an older
peer has vocalized. But it doesn’t seem like everyone has this problem. While I’m questioning if
the teacher will be annoyed if I ask for clarification, someone else’s hand (usually, not
insignificantly, a male’s) will already be in the air. Or, as I’m waiting for the “perfect time” to
interject in a discussion, others will instead be sharing all the thoughts that come to their head,
whether or not everyone else agrees.
I’m not trying to deny that there is value in being conscientious about what I say.
However, that conscientiousness shouldn’t be founded in fear. If I truly want to seize all the
intellectual opportunities available to me, I need to be able to use my voice when I don’t
understand or agree with something. No one has ever made history by staying silent and
assuming everyone else knows better than them, and I doubt I’ll be the first. Thus, I intend to
start taking advantage of the low-power-distance society I live in and start being more open with
my doubts, queries, and disagreements, even if I’m sure to be humbled once or twice (or a couple
dozen times) along the line. After all, isn’t that what I’m here for?
Notes: 1. The word “issue” needs to be used carefully in this context, though. Of course, vehicle
crashes, medical errors, and similar events can objectively be viewed as problematic. However, a
country’s position on the Power Distance Index is simply a reality of the culture, not a “bad” or
“good” thing.
Work Cited: Gladwell, M. (2009). Outliers. Back Bay Books.
Clara Heberling is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2028. She is studying political science.