Canadian journalist and sociologist Malcolm Gladwell’s book is called just like that. The essence of Gladwell’s theory is as follows: small, sometimes imperceptible changes to the eye accumulate and at some moment is radically changing the situation in a rapid way. Elementary example: temperature does not change much from day to day, but “one beautiful day” rain is replaced by snow.
Unlike the physical phenomena, the changes in social life, however, are not so unilinear; several factors play a role here. According to Gladwell, the principle of the epidemic is operating; five infect hundreds, hundreds to thousands. From this standpoint, he examines phenomena that have become popular, sudden outbreaks of crime, as well as the original epidemics: spreading of diseases.
Migration, in my opinion, is also an “epidemic”, the basis of which, of course, are the sins of the authorities, but it is still not unilinear dependence, there are many factors. Or, let’s take the same sinister volleyball. Negative charges are accumulated in 20 years, and one day it was found out that we actually do not have both a national team and national championship. If the official who recently assumed responsibility can create a ‘tipping point’, all disputes were senseless. If he could not do it, then he had assumed the responsibilities in vain.
The point is that positive changes also occur according to epidemic rules, about which Gladwell is writing. There comes a point when the number of crimes reaching its peak, immediately makes an abrupt falling down. Or, any outbreak of disease ends with the fact that the number of becoming healthy significantly exceeds the number of getting ill. Or, outwardly apathetic, passive society, accumulating adequate charges inside, on February, 1988, emerged to everyone in a new, unrecognizable face. Such “positive epidemics” occur when the behavior of active people becomes contagious to those around them. In general, we all need to strive for it promoting “positive epidemic”, recovery of people and society with our positive steps. Such cases occur also in journalism.
… As to what it means to write an editorial almost every day, very few of our colleagues, probably, know it. I learned it from Zhenya, Genofia Martirosyan, who was doing it before me in “Aravot” for 10 years until 2005. Zhenya, though a year younger than me, had a lot more experience in media. This work of a “columnist” I have greatly borrowed from her. And, most importantly, I have learned from Zhenya to write in a way that there is not a gram of spleen in my interpretation. At least, I try to write so. Maybe, one day, it turns out that these “positive” drops have become a sea.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
