Carlos Doesn’t Remember | Revisionist History | Malcolm Gladwell

Of the tens of thousands of talented, low-income students who graduate from high school every year in the United States, most never make it to universities appropriate to their gifts. America leaves an enormous amount of talent on the table every year. “Carlos Doesn’t Remember” explains why.
“Carlos Doesn’t Remember” is the first in a three-part Revisionist History miniseries taking a critical look at the idea of capitalization-the measure of how well America is making use of its human potential.
Season 1 (2016)
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ABOUT REVISIONIST HISTORY
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every podcast episode re-examines something from the past - an event, a person, an idea, even a song - and asks whether we got it right the first time. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
ABOUT MALCOLM GLADWELL
Malcolm Gladwell is president and co-founder of Pushkin Industries. He is a journalist, a speaker, and the author of six New York Times bestsellers including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1996. He is a trustee of the Surgo Foundation and currently serves on the board of the RAND Corporation.
ABOUT PUSHKIN INDUSTRIES
Pushkin Industries is an audio production company dedicated to creating premium content in a collaborative environment. Co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg in 2018, Pushkin has launched seven new shows into the top 10 on Apple Podcasts (Against the Rules, The Happiness Lab, Solvable, Cautionary Tales, Deep Cover, The Last Archive, and Lost Hills), in addition to producing the hugely successful Revisionist History. Pushkin’s growing audiobook catalogue includes includes the bestselling biography “Fauci,” by Michael Specter, “Hasta La Vista, America,” Kurt Andersen’s parody Trump farewell speech performed by Alec Baldwin, "Takeover" by Noah Feldman, and “Talking to Strangers,” from Pushkin co-founder Malcolm Gladwell. Pushkin is dedicated to producing audio in any format that challenges listeners and inspires curiosity and joy.
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[@YoYo-gt5iq]

If Gladwell titled these episodes in a way that people knew what the heck they were going to be about, more ppl would hear this very important story. 10k views on this means 10k core fans.

[@topsuperseven7910]

I haven't been able to get this episode out of my mind (and it's been over a year) because I can't stop thinking about how surprising it's been for me to learn that Gladwell found this noteworthy and a unique story. Since then, it's just floored me to find out how many college students actually believe, sincerely, truly believe that while they walk around the world they are seeing: - The lower-iq and worse students are the ones who didn't even finish high school. They do the most physical labor. - the ones who finished high school but didn't get to college are the less intelligent ones. - they are the higher IQ smarter better people so they've gone higher and will do the least physical labor careers. Seriously. They actually believe this is how it works and it's such an entrenched belief that Gladwell considered this a bit of a contrarian and interesting angle that is worth surprising some people with. This is just mindboggling to me. No, of course a very large number of students will not go to college, not because they were somehow less smart, lesser IQs and less capable of it. Holy hell who doesn't know that? Likewise, plenty and many and most students who didn't finish high school didnt' just somehow have 'really poor grades' because somehow they were less capable, the IQ just wasnt there, they weren't smart enough. Yet, it turns out a stunning number of people actually believe that's what must have happened. It just amazes me to learn that a other people actually thought this AND they are intrigued by Carlos story almost like "wow.. i never thought of that.. so its not always just poor grade averages?!" like that was actually a revelation to them? They were that ignorant of the world they 'learned this' is not just grades in school. I don't know if I could recount what must be hundreds and by now thousands of 'Carlos'. The more I think about this, I can't actually think of many students who, given a standard stable family and standard conveniences and who wanted to got to college (post-secondary as we might say in Canada) I cannot think of many who did not simply because they just weren't bright enough, they just didn't have the IQ and intelligence. I can grab up a few memories. Almost ALL who would have wanted to go to college but didn't make it were 'Carlos' circumstances of something. A lot of divorce, a lot of someone losing jobs, having nowhere to live but to move and sometimes the realization they were not going to have money to buy books anyway, never mind everything else associated with attending a college and they weren't going as some weirdo poor street kid and so on. Yes, foster kids, parents in rehab, various family crises, on and on. This episode is surprising because I learned it's considered surprising to so many listeners.

[@janetallred6203]

Could have been more succinct, but I'm in agreement with you. I don't think the United States Congress is ever going to care about these kids. Are used to say that we should make show up for their first half-dozen sessions wearing a t-shirt that says I got mine, you get yours, because we're not going to help you.

[@topsuperseven7910]

@@janetallred6203 Yes but the USA isn't a Communist State where the federal congress is who redistributes money, family structure and makes laws to teach a certain comfort class these things about life. What helps is Gladwell doing a look into this and a podcast where those in the world of academia and/or the middleclass realize life isn't actually as structured as they may have thought. It doesn't work the way they thought. Then again it's a comforting thing to suppose it works that way. High school grads must be who was the smart-enoughs, college admitted must be the even smarter ones, graduate students even smarter and higher etc. A large central government authority can't somehow make that change.

[@everydazetuesday]

thanks for uploading to youtube.... its convenient for me. this one gave me tears.

[@bettefried8129]

So far, I think anything Malcolm Gladwell does excellent- interesting

[@ikeaub]

Tears in my eyes. Thanks for sharing.

[@cs80211]

I'm not a English speaker, so I usually listen to podcast to practice my English. Thank you for doing this, very good podcast, and learned from this,

[@theapesnest6525]

This happens often in low income areas, usually those students are labeled as behavioral and don’t get the chance to show they can excel.

[@rys2754]

I don't get Gladwell's take on this story. He talks about all those middle class families as something that just feel from the sky. How does he know what obstacles those parents, or their parents or grandparents had to overcome in order to be where they are today? Every family began their prosperity from nothing, at some point in the past. Carlos is such a first generation in his family. Good for him!

[@phdmassage]

This is so complicated. I feel like most commentors focused on one little aspect. We all need to realise there is more going on in everyone we meet.

[@garykjolhaug1200]

OUTSTANDING!!!

[@Judymontel]

The heart breaks. The determination. Fortitude. Courage.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

If you only knew the depth and scope of damage that "child services" does. Thank you for telling of someone who could survive pretty much intact.

[@greenertinker]

child services ripped apart my family and messed with my kids minds. One of them is coming out of it ok, one of them has lost every ounce of their self esteem and inner power. She went from being intelligent and bright future to living like a street rat burning every bridge she can because out of anger and resentment of the monster they taught her she could be. Not all families are good, but CPS does more damage then just leaving them be. More get molested, more get killed, more get tanken advantage of then they would have if they just left them in their family and helped the family unit. SHAME ON CPS!!

[@rafaelmendez49]

The sadness is the ordinary kids who never meet their Eric

[@YoYo-gt5iq]

"The difference between being privileged and poor is how many chances you get." That's me. I left a D-I scholarship where I was also in the city's ballet company. Why did I leave? 'Because.' That's not the reason I ever gave, but it was the real reason - that I just didn't want to go - so I got a series of dead-end, part-time jobs until some ass-faces flew a couple of planes into the World Trade Centers. I excelled in the military bc I'd been able to develop my athletics as a child, and then realized how far id set myself back upon getting out. But there I was - with every chance in the world - an American from a nice family. Today, i have it all.

[@user-lx1br6co3o]

So what happened to him? this was from 2016 please update us!

[@cookingwithsilence]

I was assigned this podcast for a screenwriting exercise, they gave this to me because I'm from the area Carlos is from. I know, by the way that you put this together that you think Eisner sounds like some kind of an altruist and a hero, but I mapped out Carlos' bus route and I just gotta say, why could you just get the kid a couple tutors? Okay.... you put him on public transit for a grand total of 3 hours a day in what was and is still a place with a lot of problems and a lot of violence... You gambled with this child's life and for what?.. Oh yes, I believe you referred to it as "capitalization". So you're gambling with a kids life for the sake of capitalization. Cool man.

[@cookingwithsilence]

Then you wanna blame the boogieman gangs, you wanna blame his parents, you wanna leave in snippets about his mom being in jail even though he was hesitant to even say it.... I bet you if I did some digging we'd find out she's just another victim of the bail/plea system that has been twisting the arm of the poor for generations. Disgusting... I blame people who gamble with poor children's lives to capitalize and form some eutopia, and then pat themselves on the back for doing this to people. How about you help the kids mom? God forbid. This is the same attitude that will give 5K a month to a Section 8 landlord who lives 400 miles away and hasn't funded one repair to the property in 10 years but they won't just give people 1.5 to handle their business. You demonize his mother in the subtext. This is crass. You are all trash.

[@rys2754]

26:43 I don't see it as too many things getting in the way. It's only one thing: a "crab in a bucket" attitude of their environment. I didn't make anything of my life, so you won't either. However, this problem could go away in one generation. It's enough that kids like Carlos make sure their own kids are not robbed of chances that come their way.

[@greenertinker]

its the parents teaching their kids the culture of free hand outs and laziness, or thinking that just because one has it you have to too. It could go away in one generation if the parents taught their kids that steeling is wrong, murder is wrong and that sucess is not measured in gold, it is measured in being able to just be a productive member of society and respect differences that make us unique and interesting, they shouldn't divide us.

[@rys2754]

29:00 If this is not an inspirational story, I don't know what is. Carlos did get people (strangers) in his corner, he did get a chance, he did use it. Why is this bad somehow?

[@RobertSaxy]

I think your misunderstanding his point the story he wants you to focus on is the one between the lines. Carlos’s story off hopefully succeeding (kid is still in high school, I’m rooting for him like I’m sure you are too) is so rare that the real story is of the failure of society to allow full “capitalization” for all and that is a sad story

[@rys2754]

@@RobertSaxy It seems you're trying to justify his narrative instead of seeing how faulty and biased it is. No, it's not sad that the kids succeed in the end. Yes, it is inspirational. Yes, it does prove those things are possible, no matter how much some try to talk people into learned helplessness and perpetual victimhood. Which narrative makes the world a better place?

[@RobertSaxy]

@@rys2754 I’m not justifying anything, Carlos’s story is not inspirational, the odds of that happening to a kid are probably worse than winning the lottery, I’ve never looked ata lottery winner and thought how inspirational. I am proud of Carlos and hopeful for him and hood sister but not naive enough to think this as a path forward. There’re narratives and realities, it seems to me you live in a world of narratives looking through a window at the realities. To answer your question neither make this a better place and again that’s sad, real but sad. You shouldn’t feel inspired you should feel furious that that is a reality of this place

[@rys2754]

@@RobertSaxy I'm sorry your world is so bleak and hopeless and you'd rather evoke fury than see the humanity and inspiration in others. Gladwell is wrong. His narrative is wrong. He lost his objectivity for his ideology. Too bad.

[@RobertSaxy]

@@rys2754 my world is not bleak and hopeless I am a fighter like Carlos, I think you missed the point of this whole thing and seem to be defensive about it. Open your eyes and see the world for what it is then fight the good fight. We have to be careful with being inspired by stories like this because it leads to complacency. Carols story, that still not finished by the way, is beyond the exception. What good has this “inspiration” made you do. Why must it be next to impossible for the Carlos’s of the world to reach their potential. I’ve seen and experienced what happens when Carlos doesn’t find the golden ticket (actually this ticket found him) and that is infuriating and while there are a wide range of outcomes they are sad compared to what should have been, both for the individual (and their families) and for society as a whole. We are wasting away an intense amount of great potential, if you see that and are not infuriated then you are choosing naiveness over reality. Feeling inspired does little for the world, getting sad then angry moves mountains. Let’s move mountains

[@andrewscott8758]

His arguments and conclusions are suspect here throughout. Poor students have a myriad of choices besides just the IVY League, and are surely not dependent upon wealthy intercessionists like this guy.

[@RobertSaxy]

You should listen again to the specifics of the episode, I’m pretty sure you missed the direction of the point here. If you ever get to know our work with kids in the traumatic situations that he’s talking about you’ll see that “choice” is an illusion. Most won’t even get to a place where a choice could be had

[@BenBologna4]

yeah he seemed to have a weird take on this

[@joycejones5125]

Carlos does not remember becausr Carlos is suffering from trauma from the compounded one offs.

[@byroncook6930]

Hard to listen to.

[@steveadams1850]

The story was riveting. Definitely not inspirational. My jaw dropped a number of times while listening to it.

[@BenBologna4]

very goofy standpoint