Gladwell's thesis, in my view, is that the success of late bloomers depends on love.
In current times of civil unrest, economic injury, and political failure, we depend on love -- in all its complexity and even through untenable circumstances -- to keep ourselves human.
What these men have also done is highlight how complex aspiration is, and in many cases, how it so often depends on love as much as political or personal will.
Links from my last blog show how dogs depend on loving attachments, follow social cues like pointing and staring, and experience empathy for those they love - just like human babies.
Somehow, you learned that depending on a loved one is terrifying and leads to the demise of your sense of self and/or the relationship.
Be prepared for what you will do depending on your loved one's response.
After "Beer n' Burgers" (rockabilly) or "Taco Tuesday" (Celia Cruz), you "Calm Down" (Wilco, the National) and then, depending on your love life, click on "Sexy Beats" or "Better Off Without You" (or maybe "Bedtime Stories," for the kids), followed by "Sleep" (heavy on Brian Eno, king of the z's).
For a foretaste, look at Primorski Krai, a miserable spot in far-eastern Russia where crass politicians, rampant crime and economic decline have given people a hellish winter.The final bit of the political chart looks worse or better depending on your love of democracy or conversely order.
His love does not depend on your love for Him; His love is unconditional.
