The POWER of "little things"

Can we change our country by improving on the "little things"?

Malcolm Gladwell says yes.

In his book "The Tipping Point", Gladwell cited the high rate of criminality in New York City from 1960s to 1990s. At that time, New York was already the finance capital of the world. But during that period, around 650,000 serious crimes and murders were committed yearly in that city. No one could solve the problem.

Then 2 police consultants experimented on making improvement in New York City's subway train system, used by almost 97% of New Yorkers, but where conditions then were horrible. The waiting platforms were poorly lit and damp, while the walls were covered with all kind of graffiti. The trains themselves were filthy, the floors littered with trash and were often late.

First, they removed all the graffiti, and painted clean the platforms and the trains. Then they posted plain-clothes policemen in all stations to arrest those who did not pay train tokens. In a few years, criminality in New York City declined sharply by 65%. Two little things - removal of graffiti and presence of policemen. But they changed the culture and the face of New Yorkers.

Gladwell says "do not underestimate the power of little things." They can spur a revolution.

If "little things" can change a city, they can change a country.

"Life is made up of little things." Greatness follows if we learn to be great in little things," says Charles Simmons.

Because of his book, Gladwell has been cited as one of the World's 100 influential People by TIME Magazine this year. And his book is changing the mindsets of people around the world.