The Matthew Effect is a chapter in a book called The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and he uses this chapter and relates it to a parable in the Bible called the Parable of the Talents. Both of these excerpts of writing have a message in it about life and working with what God has given us. They explain how each person is different and though some things in life are unfair, God has a plan for all of us in his own way. The Parable of the Talents is in the book of Matthew (25: 14- 30) and it’s about how a master is unfair and unjust to a man by giving a man only one talent.

     In the Parable of the Talents, the master gives a man five talents, another man three talents, and another man one talent and he wants them to go out and multiply their talents with the number of talents they have. The man with only one talent is unable go out and multiply because he only has one talent to give off. So he takes all of the master’s money and buries it. This applies to me, my family, and the Cardinal Newman Community, because we have all had something taken from us in our lives but we bounce back by that sad, horrible, or traumatic event.

      The Matthew Effect is named after the Parable of the Talents, because the chapter in The Outliers is about the parable. It explains how each person is differently gifted, some more than others, and how you need to work to get your word and name across when trying to become somebody. It also has a down side of intimidation and fear with children born at the end of the year when going out for sports or in school. This applies to me and my life because it is scary when trying to impress yourself to a coach while going up against conference athletes who are faster and better skills. It is hard trying not to get nervous when going up against top athletes because that is when pressure is put on yourself, by yourself out of fear for making a mistake.

     Gladwell also talks about advantages and disadvantages with children born in the beginning of the year than the end of the year. For example, in Canada, the hockey league cutoff is January first, so there are more players born in January, February, and March than in November and December. It is because the players born in the earlier part of the year have a greater advantage because they are older, bigger, and stronger than players born in the end of the year who face a disadvantage. Gladwell also compares these statistics to school and how there should be a separation for each person born in the year. January, February, March, and April should be in one classroom. May, June, July, August, and September in another. And October, November, and December in another because of paces of learning and how again, earlier months are more advanced than later months.

     The Gospel of Matthew and Gladwell have lessons that can be applied to real life situations on how to excel. If a boy is born in December, it does not mean they are worse than someone born in February. It all comes down to work and how much someone is willing to work. I the end it comes down to them and what decision they want to make. And not one person on this planet has only one talent. Some can draw and sing while others can write and are tri- sport athletes. God gifted us with different strengths to make everyone different and unique.