Research Papers /
Wright Brothers research paper and valuable characteristics [3]
By learning about the life stories of entrepreneurs, successful researchers and people of great success, it is clear that there are certain attributes that individuals in those categories have in common. A few of these characteristics might include perseverance, persistence, hardworking and passion. But possessing these characteristics and being highly intelligent alone is not enough, one must also have opportunities presented in life with unique experiences along the way. Experiences which may at first be seen as an obstacle but later on prove that such misfortune was the core of what shaped that individual's character and success. One account of an accident that ended up being contributive to the shaping of the Wright's Brothers was when Wilbur Wright's front teeth were knocked out in a game of hockey prior to him finishing high school. An accident that led him to gain more insight on the field of aviation. I believe that being brought up in the right environment, possessing valuable characteristics, and having special opportunities presented in life help determine not only the success of an entrepreneur or researcher but also that of any other individual. In following paragraphs I will elaborate on the environment the Wright's Brothers were raised in; their character, unique opportunities they received and the ambition which came together to help them build the first flying machine used for air travel.
One factor that contributes to an individual's success is the environment they are raised in. In Malcolm Gladwell's Book Outliers he discusses the concerted cultivation parenting style. Parents who exercise this method of parenting are heavily involved in their child's academic and social life in attempt to keep their children in a rigorous schedule in order to foster their children's talents and skills. In Outliers it is also stated that parents utilizing this style of parenting are usually part of the middle and upper class. The Wright Brothers even though they grew up in a modest home without electricity or readily available running water, nonetheless were being raised in an environment similar to concerted cultivation. Their father Milton Wright who was a clergyman adored books encouraged his sons to intensively read about all subjects. Regardless of being raised in a humble home their father's collection of books was vast and of great value. Eager to learn more, everyone in the house became hooked on reading, and read at all times they had the opportunity to do so. Through reading the Wright brothers were able to acquire a tool that would prepare them for life, the powerful tool of knowledge.
Besides their father integrating the value of reading books into his children he also taught them values and good character. Although at the time they may have not noticed it, the Wright Brothers had a unique opportunity that not many others had. They had a father who cared for them and who was important in their development as human beings. While growing up their father had been elected bishop of their church, which then enabled him to travel more often. Traveling gave his father the opportunity to gain a great amount of knowledge on giving advice and lecturing his kids on their behavior, obstacles in life, good and bad habits, cleanliness and even on how to dress appropriately. Information that all falls under the category of practical intelligence. In the book Outliers is what made a huge difference in the success of Robert Oppenheimer and Chris Langan, who were both individuals with high IQ's but nonetheless both individuals who had a very different life story. An example of how practical intelligence can make a difference is how Robert Oppenheimer was able to get away with a slap on the wrist after attempting to poison his tutor. Meanwhile Chris Langan was unable to convince his adviser to change his class schedule which in turn led him to dropping out of college. So it is safe to say that social savvy is powerful wisdom that made a difference in the Wright brother's path to success. Practical Intelligence didn't' just affect the Wright Brother's research but it also helped them in presenting the outcomes of their experiments and the development of their machines to other people. "His vocabulary and use of language were of the highest order, due in large measure to standards long insisted upon by his father."(McCullough, Pg. 7) This quote refers to Wilbur Wright and how his father taught him and his brother the importance of communicating effectively. In the book The Wright Brothers by McCullough it is also stated that Wilbur Wright was the voice of both of the brothers in the literary part of the work they conducted. And the teachings of his father Wilbur's ability to get his point across by being fluent and effective in both his writings and whenever he spoke in public.
Opportunities in life will sometimes come in the form obstacles and setbacks that one will often face. But such difficulties will sometimes play out in a very serendipitous manner in the end. Similar to an incident that occurred in Wilbur Wright's late years of his high school education. In high school Wilbur had achieved high grades and was a star athlete of the school and as the end of his high school education approached Wilbur had plans of going on to study at Yale University. But those plans where cancelled when one day while playing hockey on a frozen lake he was struck in the mouth by a hockey stick and most of his front teeth were knocked out. Afterwards, Wilbur went under a lot of stress and became a loner and a recluse. Going into this phase of his life Wilbur began research and reading intensively by himself which led to his ambition in the field of aviation and furtherly developed his ability to be a deep and reflective thinker.
An entrepreneur or a successful researcher who has the drive to achieve should have innovativeness and initiative. Orville Wright displayed these characteristics during his junior year in high school when he dropped out to start his own printing business. Despite the fact that the Wright brother had minimal funds to start his own business he did so anyways and using his creativity he created his first press with the following materials: a discarded tombstone, a buggy spring and other scrap metal. A few months later Orville and his brother were able to move the business to a busier part of town. They were able to do that because of the long hours they had put into the improvement of their business and the performance of the printing press they had in use. They would become so busy that they would sometimes be limited to a small amount of time to write. But this wasn't the only business venture they were part of, in 1893 the brothers had noticed the sudden popularity of bicycles during the time and took advantage of the opportunity and opened up the "Wright Cycle Exchange", where they sold and repaired bicycles. All of these actions exercised by the Wright Brothers demonstrated the qualities that made them enterprising men in look for new ways to progress.
To this paper I attached a table containing characteristics that are of value to entrepreneurs and researchers all around. I included both characteristics that I believe are a part of my character and also characteristics that I think I should improve upon. I believe that by subjecting myself to situations that challenge me and put me in a role where I have to communicate with a wide range of people, I can improve my communication skills. Opportunities like this will also allow me to discover different perspectives and views that I was previously unaware of. I also believe that I can improve upon these characteristics by following the example of the wright brothers by reading and researching widely on a variety of interesting and meaningful subjects. And while doing so using critical thinking skills to write down questions and abstract thoughts that I may do further research on. Learning about various matters allows one to come up with a diverse range of ideas for solutions when faced a problem. I also consider characteristics such as passion, perseverance and intuition are important because it's what creates the drive needed to accomplish one's goals. After the Wight Brother's failed attempt in 1900 to fly their new invention they found a problem that restricted the machine from operating as it should. Would the Wright brothers have continued to experiment and work on the development of their flyer without these characteristics? Most likely not. The Wright brothers had an un-superficial ambition towards their goals. They accomplished their goals because they weren't doing it for materialistic things or money but rather because they had a passion for creating a flying machine.
The Wright Brothers throughout their life showed strong perseverance's by overcoming obstacles they faced just as an entrepreneurs does. Such as Louis Pasteur did when he overcame the stroke that left part of his body crippled. In spite of the obstacle he faced, he continued on to take on three of his major research projects that left an impact on the world. Or when the Wright brothers flying experiments did not come out as planned they kept enthusiasm and used their ingenuity to solve the problems they encountered in order to keep moving forward. Besides having these characteristics their curiosity and passion for aviation was encouraged in the environment they were brought up in by their father. In the end they were granted the opportunity to achieve their dreams through their hard work and enthusiasm they put into achieving their goals. Through their curiosity towards the world entrepreneurs find ways of filling gaps in order to improve our everyday life.
