Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
I sat down with Malcolm Gladwell at his home back in 2019 and asked him a simple question: How do we raise great nerds?
His answer was anything but simple.
In this clip Malcolm Gladwell (youtube.com/channel/UCiFad3ywc8c5IO-B3bBqqLQ) talks about curiosity, independence, and the courage to be different—even when the group doesn’t get it. It stayed with me so I'm re-releasing it as short YT clip.
If you want to hear more, here is the full interview: youtu.be/6p3KlvrMnmo?si=e_jFXXLW8IHcnoCD
Here is the transcript of this clip:
Neil: For those that want to raise great nerds, because we do believe it is a pathway to ultimate, larger and richer success, what are the ways to cultivate nerds?
Malcolm: Well, you know, nerdy in the best sense of that word is about having the freedom to pursue, to follow your curiosity, and not to have your curiosity be constrained in any way. And the principal constraint on curiosity is the need for the approval of others, right? Is the pressure that comes from the group that you're a part of.
And so I think the key to producing, to raising nerds is to give a child a sense of their, the ability to be, give a child kind of the freedom to be independent. The notion that it's fine to do something that doesn't have the approval of the group. To somehow create a sense of self-assurance that isn't dependent on meeting the expectations, the kind of, the conservative expectations of those around you. I don't mean that in an ideological way.
Neil: Is there things that you have as part of your upbringing, or things that you've seen other people kind of grow up with that sort of have ticked them into this freedom to follow the curiosity you described?
Malcolm: But, well, I think, you know, the truth is that, the nerd is not alone, but the nerd's allies are not obvious. So you have to, if you're a nerd, you have to look for your cohort. If you're interested in being popular in high school, and, you know, following, listening to all of the latest music, and wearing all the coolest clothes, it's very easy to find people who share those goals, and will reward you for pursuing them. If you are someone who is really into something quite obscure and difficult, it's harder to find your peer group. And so I think that's the sort of second part of this, is just the understanding that it's not that you are alone in the world, it's just that you need to hunt for your co-conspirators in the world of nerdiness. And sometimes you can get lucky, and find them early. Sometimes you have to look a little harder.
-
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I sat down with Malcolm Gladwell at his home back in 2019 and asked him a simple question: How do we raise great nerds?
His answer was anything but simple.
In this clip Malcolm Gladwell (youtube.com/channel/UCiFad3ywc8c5IO-B3bBqqLQ) talks about curiosity, independence, and the courage to be different—even when the group doesn’t get it. It stayed with me so I'm re-releasing it as short YT clip.
If you want to hear more, here is the full interview: youtu.be/6p3KlvrMnmo?si=e_jFXXLW8IHcnoCD
Here is the transcript of this clip:
Neil: For those that want to raise great nerds, because we do believe it is a pathway to ultimate, larger and richer success, what are the ways to cultivate nerds?
Malcolm: Well, you know, nerdy in the best sense of that word is about having the freedom to pursue, to follow your curiosity, and not to have your curiosity be constrained in any way. And the principal constraint on curiosity is the need for the approval of others, right? Is the pressure that comes from the group that you're a part of.
And so I think the key to producing, to raising nerds is to give a child a sense of their, the ability to be, give a child kind of the freedom to be independent. The notion that it's fine to do something that doesn't have the approval of the group. To somehow create a sense of self-assurance that isn't dependent on meeting the expectations, the kind of, the conservative expectations of those around you. I don't mean that in an ideological way.
Neil: Is there things that you have as part of your upbringing, or things that you've seen other people kind of grow up with that sort of have ticked them into this freedom to follow the curiosity you described?
Malcolm: But, well, I think, you know, the truth is that, the nerd is not alone, but the nerd's allies are not obvious. So you have to, if you're a nerd, you have to look for your cohort. If you're interested in being popular in high school, and, you know, following, listening to all of the latest music, and wearing all the coolest clothes, it's very easy to find people who share those goals, and will reward you for pursuing them. If you are someone who is really into something quite obscure and difficult, it's harder to find your peer group. And so I think that's the sort of second part of this, is just the understanding that it's not that you are alone in the world, it's just that you need to hunt for your co-conspirators in the world of nerdiness. And sometimes you can get lucky, and find them early. Sometimes you have to look a little harder.
-
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
